Rs 2,500 cr for CM’s post? Yatnal says so

Bengaluru: Is the post of Karnataka Chief Minister ‘available’ for a price? Former Union Minister and Vijayapura City BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal on Friday opened a Pandora’s Box claiming that he was asked to pay Rs 2500 crore if he wanted to become the chief minister of the state.

Karnataka has been witnessing feverish speculation over a change of guard in recent weeks with political circles agog with reports that incumbent CM Basavaraj Bommai would be replaced with a more dynamic leader ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the state a couple of days ago but no decision has been taken on the much awaited cabinet rejig or change of leadership yet.

The Panchamsali Lingayat leader who has made several controversial statements in the past, even claimed that there were ‘agents’ who had asked him to pay a huge sum of money if he wanted to secure the CM’s gaddi for himself. The BJP legislator said he had asked the people who approached him whether they knew how much Rs 2,500 crore was and “where to keep it, in a room or a godown”.

Yatnal made the sensational charge at a party event and said the so called agents even told him that they would take him to Union Home Minister Amt Shah’s house and JP Nadda’s (BJP natonal President) residence.

Reacting to the BJP MLA’s scandalous remarks, KPCC president DK Shivakumar demanded a probe. “This is a national issue which needs to be probed,” he said.