CM Siddaramaiah collected Rs 300 cr from ministers to fund Bihar polls, alleges BJP’s Sriramulu

CM Siddaramaiah collected Rs 300 cr from ministers to fund Bihar polls, alleges BJP’s Sriramulu

Senior BJP leader B Sriramulu on Wednesday accused Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of collecting Rs 300 crore from state ministers to fund the Congress party's campaign in the Bihar Assembly polls, allegedly to "save his chair".

He claimed that the amount was raised during a recent dinner meeting hosted by the chief minister for his cabinet colleagues.

"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's chair is probably shaking. He is going to Delhi on November 15. He is making efforts to save his chair. We will have to see what revolution happens after November 15," he told reporters in Chitradurga.

There are speculations about a change in leadership when the Congress government completes half its five-year term next month, which some are calling a 'November revolution'.

"Collections have started from ministers as the Bihar polls have been announced. The CM wants to send a good amount of funds (to the party) for the Bihar polls through this collection, in order to save his chair," he claimed.

"For the sake of the Bihar polls, Ministers were called for dinner and Rs 300 crore was collected from them by Siddaramaiah. Congress is not in power in most states, so by collecting Rs 300 crore from Karnataka, Siddaramaiah has become a 'Kalpavruksha' and 'Kamadhenu' (wish-fulfilling divine tree and cow) for the Congress," he added.

Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, and counting of votes will be held on November 14.

Hitting back, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar took a swipe at Sriramulu, saying the funds the BJP leader had given to the Congress were being sent for the Bihar elections. "Sriramulu has given funds to the Congress party; we have sent the same funds (for the Bihar polls)," he quipped while speaking to media in Bengaluru.