The Bharatiya Janata Party’s attempts to overthrow the Congress government in Karnataka won’t succeed, said deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday, adding that the Congress is well “aware of the BJP’s conspiracy”.

“I know there are big leaders behind the conspiracy to pull down the Congress government. But such attempts will never succeed,” he told media.

The deputy chief minister’s remarks came in the backdrop of Congress MLA Ravikumar Gowda on Saturday reiterating his claims that a group of BJP leaders “is actively trying to entice Congress legislators to switch parties in order to destabilise the government”.

Earlier on Friday, Ravikumar Gowda had accused a team of BJP leaders of contacting Congress MLAs and “offering them money and ministerial posts to quit the party”. Speaking on the issue, the MLA on Saturday while talking to reporters in Bengaluru said that he has evidence to prove his claims and he will consult chief minister Siddaramaiah and the deputy cM before releasing it.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah acknowledged that he, too, had information regarding the BJP leaders “attempting to woo Congress MLAs”. “I have not spoken with Ravi about the issue. I will speak with him. But, even I have information that some BJP leaders have approached our MLAs. They will not succeed in it…none of our MLAs will leave the party,” the CM said.

Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel, however, countered the Congress allegation claiming “internal conflicts within the party will ultimately lead to the downfall of the Congress-led government in the state”.

Kateel responded to Ravikumar Gowda’s claim that BJP leaders were offering ₹50 crore to induce defection by stating: “The Congress is divided into three factions led by Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar and Satish Jarkiholi”.

“The internal dispute within the Congress has intensified. There are three groups in the state unit of the party. Any faction might come out in the open anytime. Already dinner meetings are being held by keeping away a few. Shortly, resort politics will also emerge. To divert the issue of internal politics, Congress MLAs are made to issue such statements,” he said.

Kateel’s retort comes amid Ravikumar Gowda’s recent claims that DK Shivakumar would “become the chief minister of Karnataka after two-and-a-half-years of Siddaramaiah’s tenure”. In response, public works minister Satish Jarkiholi had said that the decision to change or retain the chief minister should come “from the party’s high command”.

Reacting to the issue, agriculture minister N Cheluvarayaswamy said: “There is a legislature party, AICC (All India Congress Committee) high command… and they will decide on things at the appropriate time…There is no difference between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar and they are doing their job seriously in the interest of the state.”

In an attempt to maintain party discipline, Shivakumar, who also heads the KPCC (Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee ), urged all party legislators and leaders to refrain from publicly discussing internal party matters or issues related to government and power. “This is both an appeal and also a warning,’’ he said making it clear that those violating the same “will be issued notice and action will be taken”.

Meanwhile, a dinner meeting held at home minister G Parameshwara’s residence, attended by Siddaramaiah, social welfare minister H C Mahadevappa, and PWD minister Satih Jarakiholi, fuelled political speculation of discord as Shivakumar was not present.

“There is no reason in such speculations…Siddaramaiah will be there for five years…the CM post is not vacant, isn’t he the CM now? …He is the CM,” Mahadevappa, a close confidant of Siddaramaiah, told reporters. On the dinner meeting, he said, “We had gone for dinner, nothing special in it…..there was nothing else other than meeting and eating food.”