Bangalore: JDS chief HD Kumaraswamy has allegedly been heard, in an audio clip released by MLC aspirant Vijugowda Patil, demanding Rs 40 crores to nominate an MLC from the party.
Vijugowda Patil had earlier failed to secure a nomination as an MLC. In the video released by him, Kumaraswamy and Patil are allegedly heard bargaining the deal. Patil is trying to bring down the deal to Rs 10 crore.
Kumaraswamy, apparently in a fit of rage, had also said in the video that since he has 40 MLAs in the Assembly and they would all have to vote for the MLC candidate, they would each need 1 crore to pay for the huge loans they took for spending in the Assembly elections in 2013.
The conversation happened in June, as MLAs in Karnataka elected 4 members to the Council in mid June.
When asked, Kumaraswamy did not deny the clipping; instead he said that the party was trying to arrange for funds for other elections. He also mentioned that the deal never worked and there is no proof of him taking the money finally. He added that politics is about money. "In the entire country it is happening like that. It is going on in every party. Why are you blaming JDU," he asked.
Meanwhile, the candidate who finally became an MLC with JDS' backing was the proprietor of a chain of gold stores DA Saravana.
