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'You Will Make 100 Times The Wealth You Made So Far': Congress Releases Audio Tape Alleging BJP Tried To Bribe MLA

"You will become minister."
BJP leader and mining baron Janardhan Reddy during an interview at his rented bungalow at Hangal on April 21, 2018 in Chitradurga, India.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
BJP leader and mining baron Janardhan Reddy during an interview at his rented bungalow at Hangal on April 21, 2018 in Chitradurga, India.

Just one day before Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has to prove his majority in the Karnataka Assembly, the Congress Party today released an audio clip which the party said was proof of Janardhan Reddy, a former minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), trying to bribe its lawmaker.

In this audio clip, the Congress alleged, Reddy, the tainted mining baron from Bellary, can be heard offering money and a ministerial post to its lawmaker from Raichur Rural, Basanagouda Daddala, who hails from the Valmiki community.

While Reddy allegedly assured Daddala that he can arrange a one-on-one meeting with BJP's national president, Amit Shah, the Congress MLA refused to switch sides.

"And I will arrange a meeting with the national president and you can speak to him one-on-one and we can take the next step."

"You will become minister. Did you understand? Directly we will make you meet the big man. I will make you speak to him... you will make 100 times the wealth you made so far."

Rubbishing the Congress Party's allegations, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar described the audio clip as a "utter falsehood."

HuffPost India has not verified the authenticity of the audio clip. Below is the transcript of the alleged conversation between Reddy and Daddala.

Janardhana Reddy: Is it Basanagouda? Are you free?

Daddala: Yes it is me.

JR: Forget all that has happened before, forget all the bad things. I am telling you, that my good time has begun. And I will arrange a meeting with the national president and you can speak to him one-on-one and we can take the next step.

BD: No sir, when I was on my last leg they made me MLA.

JR: I will tell you one thing. BSR time we had a very bad time when we formed the party, where there was a lot of opposition. There is no doubting that you have lost a lot by believing in us. But I am telling you, you will grow a 100 times more. Shivanagouda Nayak became a minister because of me. Today he is strong and able to look after himself. It all happened because of me. Raju Gowda also benefitted because of me.

JR: It was your misfortune that it was our bad time. Today Shivanagouda winning is not useful. You will become minister. Did you understand? Directly we will make you meet the big man. I will make you speak to him... you will make 100 times the wealth you made so far.

BD: I am sorry sir. I was on my last leg when they gave me a ticket and made me win. In such a situation I cannot betray him. I respect you.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.