BJP’s attempt to buy MLAs did not succeed: Ramalinga Reddy

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has said that the BJP had always tried to come to power by making MLAs from other parties join them and this time too they tried the same but did not succeed.

Speaking to presspersons in Hubballi on Friday, Mr. Reddy said that in 2019, the BJP came to power by buying MLAs and ever since the BJP had taken over 450 MLAs to its side through Operation Lotus. From the Congress alone, around 250 legislators joined the BJP because of coercive tactics including threat of ED, CBI, and other central agencies, he said.

On former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s statement that those in the race were ready to pay ₹50 crore for the Chief Minister post, Mr. Reddy said that BJP leaders were ‘kings of lies’. To a query, he clarified that the final decision had not been yet taken on handing over inquiry into COVID-19 ‘scam’ to SIT, but the Cabinet had discussed the issue.

To another query, Mr. Reddy said the government would accept good recommendations of the Srinivas Murthy committee. “The previous BJP regime had pushed the Transport Department into a debt of ₹5,900 crore and we are trying to recover from it. We have appealed to the Chief Minister to provide additional grants to NWKRTC which is under loss,” he said.

Published - November 15, 2024 06:31 pm IST