Karnataka BJP MLA claims he was told to arrange ₹ 2,500 crore for CM’s post

Karnataka BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has claimed that he was approached by some people, offering the state chief minister’s position, in exchange for ₹ 2,500 crore.

The former Union minister, however, did not name any one, but only said there are such “fraud” companies.

“Understand one thing in politics, don’t get spoiled, you will meet many thieves in politics stating that they will get a ticket, take you to Delhi, make you meet Sonia Gandhi, J P Nadda. They have done it to people like me. Some people had come to me from Delhi stating that they will make me Chief Minister and I should arrange ₹ 2,500 crore,” Yatnal said.

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Speaking at an event in Belagavi (Karnataka) recently, the BJP legislator said he asked the people who came to him whether they know how much ₹ 2,500 crore was and “where to keep it, in a room or a godown”.

Stating that there are fraudulent companies which claim that they would get a ticket, the Vijayapura City MLA said, “Being someone who had worked in (then Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee’s government, along with Advani, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley…I was told that I will be made the Chief Minister for which I should arrange ₹ 2,500 crore.” They told me that they will take me to Nadda’s residence and Amit Shah’s house, he said, adding, “I was saying to someone that the (assembly) election is approaching and such people will come.”

Reacting to Yatnal’s claims, Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar demanded that the matter should be taken seriously and debated at the national level. He added that a case should be registered and it should be investigated.

(With inputs from agencies)