Launching a broadside at the BJP, the Congress on Friday alleged the Chief Minister's post in Karnataka "is very a costly affair," reports ndtv.com.

BK Hariprasad, the Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka added that a senior BJP leader has quoted a price of Rs 2,500 crore.

"There are too many aspirants for the CM's post and there is big money involved. According to a BJP senior leader, one should cough up Rs 2,500 crore," he said.

There have been speculations on Basavaraj Bommai being ousted as CM, but this is for the first time such an allegation has been made.

However, terming speculations regarding his replacement ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls as "baseless" and "falsehood", Bommai had said his government was stable and would continue to remain so and that he would work much harder for the state and the BJP.

"This is all falsehood, the truth is that there is a stable government and it will continue to be stable. I have resolved to work much harder," he added.

Reacting to earlier Congress statements, he had said, "It is amusing...this is not the first time the Congress is tweeting such a thing, they seem to have a feeling- there is instability in their mind which they want to spread among people across the state, but people won't believe them," Bommai said.

"More than anything I'm 'Sthitaprajna' (man of steady wisdom), because I'm aware of the truth and there is no basis to such talk, as they are politically motivated," he had elaborated.

With PTI inputs