Bengaluru: Former minister C.P. Yogeshwar has ruled out any role in wooing Congress or Janata Dal (Secular) legislators by offering them crores of rupees in return for their help to form a BJP government headed by State President B.S. Yeddyurappa. "It's a big drama enacted by a few Congress and JD(S) MLAs to tarnish my image. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy himself is behind this. If they have the guts, let them approach the authorities concerned with evidence and get a probe done", he told Deccan Chronicle.
The former Channapatna MLA said the reason for the dissidence is the fact that Congress legislators themselves are not happy with the party leadership for supporting the JD(S) to enable it form the coalition government. These MLAs also have a grouse that the CM is concerned only about his party legislators and has ignored the constituencies of Congress MLAs.
Mr Yogeshwar claimed that he had never seen Mr C. Anilkumar, son of former HD Kote MLA, Chikkamadu, who had claimed that he had tried to lure him to the BJP. "If they have phone records or other evidence to support their claim, let them hand it over to the investigative agency. I am ready to be punished if I have made any such offer".
"I was aghast when Sakleshpur JD(S) MLA H.K. Kumaraswamy's wife claimed that she was approached by a certain Udaya Gowda who offered Rs 30 crore to convince her husband to join the BJP. This misinformation campaign has been unleashed as Mr Somashekar, the BJP candidate in Sakleshpur, gave a tough fight to Mr Kumaraswamy in the recent Assembly polls. The Congress is involved in a big drama to cover up growing dissidence in their party," the former minister added.
