In two recent sting operations by leading English news channels -Times Now and India Today – a few legislators from Karnataka were shown talking about exchange of money for their support in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 11.
While a candidate needs 45 votes to win, Congress is short by 12 votes for its third candidate and the JD(S) is short by 10 for its only candidate.
Both stings were aired on Thursday.
The sting by India Today included two legislators from Janata Dal-Secular, one from the Karnataka Janata Paksha and an Independent.
One of the assembly members was shown asking to be paid over Rs 5 crore.
In Times Now’s sting operation, MLAs spoke about the problem between the Congress's third candidate, retired IPS officer K C Ramamurthy, and the JD(S)'s sole candidate, a businessman from Mangaluru, B M Farook, for 12 Independent MLAs' votes, vital for their victory.
They also said that money was given in the name of developmental funds for their constituency in return for support.
In what is claimed to be a major poaching of an MLA, JD(S)'s strength of 40 MLAs in the House went down by five last week, after B Z A Zameer Ahmed Khan openly declared his support to KC Ramamurthy.
Independent MLA Varthur Prakash, who is close to the chief minister, said that Congress had given him the responsibility of securing votes of 12 Independents and five JD(S) MLAs.