Bengaluru, Feb 14: Days after chief minister HD Kumaraswamy dropped an audio bombshell on BJP, the entire chat — in which a BJP MLA purportedly disparages HD Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy — was made public on Wednesday, triggering violence against the legislator in Hassan.
In the leaked 80-minute clip, MLA Preetham Gowda is purportedly heard talking to Sharanagouda, son of JD (S) MLA Naganagouda Kandakur, convincing him to cross over to BJP. “Ours is a national party and it will be there as long as the sun and moon exist,” says the Hassan MLA. “Deve Gowda’s wicket will fall soon. Kumaraswamy has health issues. So, the JD(S) will soon vanish.”
Soon after the clip was aired on TV channels, JD(S) supporters landed at Preetham’s house. Preetham, the lone BJP MLA in the JD(S) bastion, accused JD(S) leaders of instigating the attack.
Amid the chaos over audiogate, four Congress dissidents — Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumattalli, Umesh Jadhav and B Nagendra — missing for the past few weeks returned to the party fold, marking the end of another edition of Operation Lotus.
Meanwhile, independent MLA for Mulbagal H. Nagesh, who had announced on January 15 that he had withdrawn his support to the coalition government, met Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday and announced his support to the party. He also agreed to become an associate member of the Congress, sources said.
Late Wednesday night, Sharanagouda, son of D(S) MLA Naganagouda Kandakur filed a complaint against BJP leaders and a former journalist in Devadurga police station. Police registered an FIR under IPC Section 506 (criminal intimidation).
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