Mandya : In a bold accusation against the opposition BJP, Karnataka Congress MLA Ravikumar Gowda claimed that the BJP has increased its efforts to destabilise the Siddaramaiah-led government by raising offers to ₹100 crore in a renewed ‘Operation Kamala’ attempt. This operation allegedly aims to entice Congress legislators into defecting, thereby weakening the current government.
The term ‘Operation Kamala’ refers to the BJP’s alleged strategy of engineering defections among opposition party legislators to strengthen its political standing and establish or maintain control over state governments. Gowda, representing Mandya in the Karnataka Assembly, asserted that despite these attempts, the Congress government remains strong and stable, with no MLAs willing to succumb to the BJP’s offers.
“Even today, I’m saying they [BJP] have now raised the offer to ₹100 crore from ₹50 crore. Someone called me day-before-yesterday saying ₹100 crore is ready, wanting to purchase 50 MLAs. BJP people have gone from ₹50 crore to ₹100 crore,” Gowda revealed during a media interaction on Sunday. He added that when approached, he told the caller to “keep ₹100 crore with himself” and considered reporting the matter to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Gowda also accused senior BJP leaders, including National General Secretary B.L. Santhosh, Union Ministers Shobha Karandlaje and Pralhad Joshi, as well as H.D. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular), of conspiring together as a “gang” to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka. He reassured that with 136 MLAs, the Congress government is “strong like a rock” under a popular and pro-poor Chief Minister, making it impossible to dislodge.
This is not the first time Gowda has made such allegations. In October last year, he had claimed that a team was attempting to lure Congress legislators with offers of ₹50 crore and ministerial positions, even stating that four legislators had been contacted and evidence was available to support his claims.
Gowda’s latest allegations highlight ongoing political tensions in Karnataka, where the Congress government has been under pressure from the BJP’s attempts to regain control. He alleged that BJP “brokers” are contacting Congress MLAs daily, trying to destabilise the government through financial inducements.
“We are collecting evidence, and we will give it to ED, CBI. We want to catch them with the bag of cash…I have the audio of the person who had called me; he should be feeling his heartbeat now. We will release it at the right time,” Gowda warned.
As the political drama unfolds, the Karnataka Congress remains confident that none of its MLAs will fall for the BJP’s alleged tactics, further solidifying the stability of the Siddaramaiah-led government in the state.