Even as the BJP is gearing up to prove its majority on the floor of the house on Saturday, the Congress on Friday claimed that BJP leader G. Janardhan Reddy has attempted to reach out to a Congress MLA with an offer of a ministerial berth and a chance to grow '100 times more' if he agrees to side with the saffron party.
The Congress released an audio clip in which, a man, suspected to be Reddy, is heard asking Basanagouda Daddala, an MLA from Raichur, to vote in favour of the BJP, according to media reports.
The Congress' revelation comes even as the grand old party and the JD(S) accused the BJP of trying to poach their MLAs who are now lodged at a resort in Hyderabad.
In the clip, Reddy offers the Congress MLA a chance to have a meeting with the national president of the party. He tells a hesitant Daddala that the latter will have chances to grow 100 times more if he agrees to support the saffron party. The MLA, however, appears to be unwilling to take the offer as he is heard saying he will not be able to betray the party.
As directed by the Supreme Court on Friday, a floor test will be conducted in the Karnataka assembly at 4 pm to ascertain if BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa enjoyed majority support in the house. Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday by Governor Vajubhai Vala even as the Congress and JD(S) claimed they had more numbers. Vala also granted time of 15 days to Yeddyurappa to prove his majority.