In Karnataka, Congress files complaint against BJP for 'Rs 6,000/vote' remark

BENGALURU: The Congress on Wednesday lodged a complaint with police against BJP national president JP Nadda, CM Basavaraj Bommai, state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel and Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi for allegedly making offers of huge bribes to woo voters in the assembly polls.

Addressing a rally at Sulebhavi village in Belagavi district on Friday, Jarkiholi reportedly said: "If an incumbent Congress MLA in Belagavi Rural (Laxmi Hebbalkar) gives gifts and cash up to Rs 3,000, I shall give the voters the same worth Rs 6,000."

KPCC president DK Shivakumar and opposition leader Siddaramaiah filed the complaint at Bengaluru's High Grounds police station along with a copy of the alleged video footage.

Police registered a non-cognizable case and transferred it to Belagavi since Jarkiholi, who was forced to resign as minister in 2021 following his alleged involvement in a sex scandal, had made the bribe remark in the border town. In the complaint, Congress called it "a blatant and brazen attempt to hijack democracy and there are obvious criminal offences" under IPC and the Representation of People's Act, 1951.

Noting that Karnataka has 5 crore voters, Congress alleged BJP leaders were planning to woo voters with Rs 30,000 crore from "ill-gotten money". It added that this is a fit case for investigations by the I-T department, and urged the ED to initiate a probe.

Jarkiholi said in Belagavi that the media has slightly twisted his statement. "I admit my statement was wrong, but that was not the import of it. On that day, I urged voters to vote for BJP if we spend more funds to develop schools, compound walls and other similar works and not as bribes or gifts," he said.

The BJP state unit distanced itself from the MLA's statement. CM Bommai said the Congress complaint is laughable. "They gave birth to corruption in the country; what moral right do they have to talk about corruption?" "At least 4-5 Congress legislators were caught distributing cookers to voters with their photos in Kunigal. Tax officials seized them and fined the lawmakers," the CM said.