The JD(S)-Congress combines chief ministerial candidate H D Kumaraswamy has claimed the BJP offered his MLAs Rs 100 crore in bribes to break ranks and back the BJP in government formation, a charge rejected by the saffron party.

A day after Karnataka delivered a split verdict in the Assembly polls, and the rival camps intensified efforts to outmanoeuvre each other in the race for forming the government, Kumaraswamy, who was elected the JD(S) legislature party leader, dropped the Rs 100 crore bribe bombshell, reported PTI.

“Our MLAs were offered Rs 100 crore by the BJP to break away. I want to know whether this is black or white money,” he reportedly said.

“The JD(S)-Congress combine has 116 MLAs (including JD(S) pre-poll ally the BSP)…the BJP is trying to misuse its power being at the Centre and form its government through horsetrading,” he was quoted as saying.

Kumaraswamy reportedly said though which party to invite first is the prerogative of the governor, “without the numbers how can they (BJP) form the government”.

He rejected the possibility of forming a coalition government with the BJP. “I am going to meet the governor with the state Congress president and formally stake claim to form the government,” he reportedly said.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar dismissed the JD(S) charge, calling it “imaginary”. “This (talk of) Rs 100 crore, Rs 200 crore is imaginary. The BJP is not doing this. We are not in the habit of practising horsetrading. This is the kind of politics JD(S) and Congress do. We are going by the rule book and we will form the government,” Javadekar said.

The allegation was, however, repeated by outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah, who accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of encouraging horsetrading so the BJP returned to power.

“Narendra Modi is encouraging horsetrading. The governor has to give (the first) opportunity (for forming the government) to us,” he reportedly said.

When asked about reports that some of the 78 newly elected Congress MLAs had skipped today’s meeting of its legislature party, he said, “We are all united”.

D K Shivakumar, the resourceful minister in the Siddaramaiah government who had hosted party lawmakers from Gujarat at a resort in Karnataka to prevent “poaching” by the BJP ahead of Rajya Sabha elections in that state, also claimed two MLAs who were reportedly missing were with the Congress, reported PTI.

“Nagendra and Anand Singh are in touch with us. All 78 MLAs are together. If we are not, people will beat us,” he told a TV channel.