A sitting legislator of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka was apprehended by the Lokayukta police in an alleged bribery case, triggering sharp political exchanges between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.

Chandru Lamani, the BJP MLA from Shirahatti in Gadag district, was allegedly caught while accepting Rs 5 lakh in connection with irrigation and construction works, officials said on Saturday. The trap was laid after a contractor lodged a complaint accusing the MLA of demanding money.

"Today, a successful trap was laid by the Gadag Lokayukta police station. The accused public servant was caught while accepting Rs 5 lakh," officials were quoted as saying by news agency PTI, adding that Lamani’s personal assistants, Manjunath Valmiki and Guru Naik, have also been held in connection with the case.

According to investigators, Lamani, who won the 2023 Assembly election on a BJP ticket from Shirahatti constituency, had allegedly sought a total of Rs 11 lakh from the complainant to address certain pending issues. The complainant, Vijay Pujar, a Class-I contractor from Chinchali, approached the authorities, following which a trap was organised and the MLA was allegedly caught while taking Rs 5 lakh.

Lokayukta officials said the alleged demand was linked to works under the Minor Irrigation Department, including the construction of retaining walls along a road. A case has been registered under Section 7(a) read with 7(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Lamani. His two personal assistants have also been secured and further investigation is underway.

After his detention, Lamani was taken to a government hospital for medical examination, sources said, and is expected to be produced before the Special Court for Public Representatives in Bengaluru.

The development set off a political storm in the state. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticised the BJP over the episode.

"Lamani has been caught by the Lokayukta. What will the BJP leaders say now? They must respond, shouldn't they? It is easy to level allegations of corruption and bribery against others. But now a BJP MLA himself has been caught," Siddaramaiah said, reported Hindustan Times.

“Let the Lokayukta conduct the investigation. We will not obstruct the inquiry in any way. Whatever investigation the Lokayukta is carrying out, let it proceed. We will speak about it politically later,” he added.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also took a swipe at the opposition, saying, "BJP leaders are very honest. They are corruption-free in this country. The Lokayukta might have received some wrong information."

Responding to the controversy, state BJP president BY Vijayendra declined immediate comment, stating that he would speak after verifying the facts. Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, said he was unaware of the details but maintained that the BJP does not tolerate bribery.

Meanwhile, Lamani’s supporters alleged that the state’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil and the Congress government were behind a conspiracy. Party workers also raised slogans against the ruling Congress in Karnataka as tensions flared following the arrest.