'Lokayukta has cleared previous BJP govt from 40% commission charge'

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

The BJP in Karnataka on Sunday claimed that the Lokayukta probe has cleared the party's previous government from 40 per cent commission charges, and that the allegations levelled by the Congress against it as completely "false". The BJP leaders said that it is proved that the 40 per cent commission allegation was part of the Congress' "tool kit". During the 2023 Assembly polls, the then opposition Congress had used the State Contractors' Association 40 per cent commission charge as a major weapon to corner the then BJP government, which is said to be one among the factors that led to the saffron party's debacle. "...it is proved that the 40 per cent commission allegation made against BJP is false. We have come out of it...Congress using the (the then) state contractors' association president Kempanna and vice president as its tool kit, had alleged that the government was taking 40 per cent commission.

A case was registered based on that, and the truth has now come out," Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said. Speaking to reporters here, he said the contractor (R Ambikapathy), who had made allegations against the then government, had in fact not worked as a contractor for six years. "So this contractor and other unemployed contractors became part of a Congress tool kit and made allegations against the Bommai government calling us 40 per cent Sarkara (government). BJP workers questioned us about the allegations, today they are happy this was bogus,'' he added.