BJP's main base in Karnataka is tons of money: Sharad Yadav

BANGALORE: JD(U) Chief SharadYadav on Saturday alleged that money-power plays key part in elections in Karnataka and some other states and did not refrain from attacking its NDA ally BJP in the poll-bound southern state.

Speaking after releasing his party's manifesto for the May five Assembly elections in Karnataka, Yadav said "money-bags hijack democracy" in this state, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

In these states, releasing of manifestoes by major political parties is just a "ritual". "Thereafter money fights, tons of money," he said.

"In Karnataka, the biggest base of these political parties -- Congress, BJP, (B S) Yeddyurappa (Karnataka Janatha Paksha) and (H D) Kumaraswamy (who heads the state unit of JDS) is money, tons of money", Yadav said.

JD(U), which is not in alliance with BJP in Karnataka, has fielded 115 candidates in the elections to the 224-member Assembly. The party's base has eroded over the years and it didn't have a single MLA in the outgoing Assembly.