ACB begins probe into BJP leaders’ alleged bid to lure Cong MLAs

Bengaluru, Aug 30: The Karnataka Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which reports to the chief minister’s office (CMO), is probing the BJP’s alleged attempt to buy MLAs and form the government after it failed to secure simple majority in the 2018 assembly elections.

The ACB, acting on a complaint from an activist, began investigation by issuing a notice to Dinesh Kallahalli, whose complaint seeks action against BJP leaders who allegedly offered money and ministership to MLAs to join the party after results were announced in May.

The complaint mentions audio tapes that allegedly contain conversations of BJP leaders, including the party’s state president BS Yeddyurappa and former minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, with Congress MLAs.

Sources said DySP Vazeer Ali Khan earlier this month had served a notice on Kallahalli, asking him to appear before ACB. Khan neither confirmed nor denied the development; he only said: “I cannot comment on the case.”

“We’re in the preliminary stage and yet to determine the merits of the complaint,” a senior ACB official said.

“Kallahalli has told the DySP that he does not have the audio tapes and that they were played on multiple TV channels, contents from which were also reported in the media. We’ll have to procure those tapes and analyse the content,” an officer said.

Row over audio tapes

The Congress had, on May 19, made public a series of audio files in which BJP members were allegedly luring Congress MLAs. A day before that, an audio of mining baron G Janardhana Reddy had become public. The BJP, however, said none of its leaders had indulged in these alleged conversations.

Congress MLC Ugrappa had released a file which allegedly had Yeddyurappa asking BC Patil to return to BJP, but it contained no details of any money being offered. Another file had alleged conversations of BJP leaders B Sreeramulu and Muralidhar Rao with Patil. One audio was of BJP leader BG Puttaswamy and Yeddyurappa’s son BY Vijendra, allegedly making calls to the wife of Yellapur MLA Shivaram Hebbar. The MLA was offered “Rs 15 crore without a minister’s post and Rs 5 crore with minister’s post”.

A BJP spokesperson had dismissed all these allegations, stating: “The Congress is using mimicry artists to release fake audios at a time when serious political action is being witnessed in the state.”