Congress MLA rubbishes bribe audio clip

Yellapur Congress MLA Shivaram Hebbar rubbished reports of BJP leaders' phone call to his wife trying to lure him to support BS Yeddyurappa during the floor test on Saturday.

In a Facebook post written in Kannada, Shivaram Hebbar outrightly denied media reports of phone to call his wife. He said, "Nobody called my wife and my wife did not speak anybody."

"The audio is fake and I condemn it," he said.

Amid the house proceeding on Saturday Congress leader VS Ugrappa had alleged that BJP leaders are trying to lure Congress MLA from Yellapur ahead of the floor test on Saturday.

In an audio clip released by a private television, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa's right-hand man BJ Putteswamy and BSY's son BY Vijayendra allegedly called Yallapur MLA Shivaram Hebbar's wife to support the CM during the floor test. They offered Rs 15 Crore and a ministerial berth to Shivaram Hebbar for supporting the CM during the floor test.

Putteswamy is also heard allegedly saying that cases against the wife and the son, who are facing a trial in a mining scam, would be cleared.

Congress leader VS Ugrappa told media persons Vijayendra is indulging in horse-trading.

Union minister and BJP's Karnataka election in-charge Prakash Javadekar had rubbished the audio tapes as 'fake.' Javadekar also had accused the Congress for releasing 'fake' audio clips to prevent the BJP from forming the government.

BS Yeddyurappa resigned as chief minister without taking floor test on Saturday. The BJP with 104 seats needed the support of 8 more MLAs to form the government.