Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Siddaramaiah on Sunday hit out at Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, alleging that he is not an elected Chief Minister but has been appointed to the post in return for money. His statement comes at a time when recently Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has claimed that some people approached him and offered him the post of Chief Minister of the state for Rs 2500 crore.
In fact, Congress leader Siddaramaiah took a jibe at the BJP, asking whether the Bharatiya Janata Party has offered the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka to candidates in exchange for money. In this episode, he targeted Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and said that he has been made the Chief Minister instead of money. They have also demanded a probe into the allegations of Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who was allegedly said to have been approached by power brokers.
Although Basanagouda Patil Yatnal did not take any name, but after his statement, some BJP leaders in the state have said that action will be initiated against Yatnal. BJP leader and former Chief Minister Yeddyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra said the party leadership would soon take action against Yatnal.
Meanwhile, preparations for the political upheaval ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections have intensified. Recently, after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s state visit, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he is ready to go to Delhi for the cabinet reshuffle. He will go whenever there is a call from the high command. On the news of being discharged from the post of CM, Bommai said that all these things are nothing more than rumours.
Party sources say there is little chance that Bommai will be removed before the elections. However, in the meantime, discussions about Bommai taking a political break due to knee pain are also in full swing. Recently Bommai said that he is ready to go to New Delhi to discuss it as soon as the BJP central leadership calls him.