BJP Challenges Congress MP Over Alleged Poll Misconduct

The BJP has approached the Election Commission, seeking the disqualification of Congress MP E Tukaram, alleging illegal funds influenced voters in Bellary during Lok Sabha polls. They claim the Congress violated the Model Code by using siphoned funds and question the state government's compliance during assembly bypolls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, urging the disqualification of Bellary's Congress MP, E Tukaram. The BJP alleges that illicit funds were wielded to sway voters in the Lok Sabha elections in his constituency.

In a separate petition, the Karnataka BJP, led by its president Vijayendra Yediyurappa, accused the Congress-led state government of breaching the Model Code of Conduct. They claimed the state issued full-page advertisements intending to influence voters ahead of key assembly bypolls.

Yediyurappa informed reporters that an Enforcement Directorate investigation unveiled that Rs 187 crore was misappropriated from the Karnataka Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited. These funds, allegedly, were directed by the Congress to benefit their Lok Sabha election campaign both within the state and nationally.

The BJP has called upon the Election Commission to examine these allegations seriously, as they argue E Tukaram has overshot permissible campaign expenditure limits. The party demands disciplinary action, asserting that both the elected MP and the state government have violated electoral norms.

(With inputs from agencies.)