Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Shrimant Patil (Balasaheb) made a sensational disclosure that he was offered money to quit Congress and join BJP to topple the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka. Talking to reporters, Patil said on Sunday, ‘I have joined BJP without accepting any offer. I was offered money to attend the party. I could have asked for the amount I wanted but I did not ask for the money. I had asked him to give me ministerial post to serve the people. ‘
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He said, ‘I do not know why I was not given a ministerial post in the present government but I have been promised that I will be given a ministerial post in the next expansion. I have had a conversation with Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai. Significantly, Shrimant Patil is an MLA from Kagwad seat of Karnataka. He remained in the Congress for a long time but in 2019 changed allegiance to the BJP.
Shrimant Patil was among the 16 MLAs who left the Congress and Janata Dal Secular and joined the BJP. Due to this, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had to lose power. Patil was given a ministerial post after the Yeddyurappa-led government was formed in the state. However, he (Balasaheb Patil) had to lose the ministerial post after Yeddyurappa’s resignation and Basavaraj Bommai became the CM. Significantly, the monsoon session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly is starting from today. Congress and JDS members can raise this issue in the House.