Bagalkot: State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa on Friday said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has paid over Rs 1,000 crore to Congress leaders in Delhi to save his chair.

Addressing a press conference here, Yeddyurappa said Siddaramaiah had paid the money to the Congress leaders through party MLC and his close aide Govindaraju.

During an investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials have found a diary. The ED officials have already questioned Govindaraju and began an investigation in this regard. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also joined the probe. “Siddaramaiah has to tell the people of the state whether my charges are true or false,” he said.

Yeddyurappa said the ED has a list of people to whom the money has been paid. “As everything has been discovered with evidence, let us see what will be the chief minister’s reaction,” he remarked.

“It is unfortunate that Siddaramaiah has turned a blind eye to the rampant corruption in the state and is supporting it,” the former chief minister said.

Yeddyurappa said the probe ordered by the state government into the Rs 43.88-crore irregularities in the Minor Irrigation department’s Kushtagi sub-division in Koppal district was just an eye wash. No efforts have been made so far to recover the money from the officials.

“I have important documents pertaining to the scam, including those indicating the then minister Shivaraj Tangadagi’s role in it,” he said.

Even after the income tax department unearthed unaccounted assets worth about Rs 150 crore from Small Scale Industries Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, he still continues to be in the Cabinet. There is no accountability, the BJP leader said.

Yeddyurappa said fellow BJP leader K S Eshwarappa and he were like brothers and there were no differences between them. “We will tour the state together and bring the BJP back to power,” he said.

To a query, Yeddyurappa said that it is left to former chief minister S M Krishna to take a call on joining the BJP. “I have no information on the Congress MLA and former minister M H Ambareesh joining the BJP,” he stated.