2 BJP MLAs could be disqualified from Uttara Kannada if their poll expenditure crosses Rs 40 lakh
Karwar: Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs from Uttara Kannada district may get disqualified if they fail to furnish details of their poll expenditure within the given time.
Shivaram Hebbar and Dinakar Shetty along with four other BJP aspirants shared the stage with Prime Minister Modi on May 3 during an election campaign in Ankola whose total expenditure was Rs 1.10 crore, according to the calculations of the district expenditure observation committee. The cost had to be divided equally among all, resulting in each candidate’s poll expenditure to be Rs 18.33 lakh.
Additionally, around 800 buses, including 150 buses from Goa, were used to ferry people. The organisers of the public event have been charged with Rs. 1.35 crore by the Karnataka Road Transport Corporations. Reportedly, the Goa public transport is ‘reluctant’ to provide data of the expenses. If this amount is added to the poll expenditure of the six candidates, then it will cross the maximum limit of Rs 40 lakh set for each candidate in assembly polls by the election commission.
Sources in the district administrations have asserted that apart from the Modi event, the candidates have also spent money on publicity materials, rallies, pamphlets, among others. Few of them also shared a stage with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath at a public rally.
District Expenditure Observer Satish G Pawar told Deccan Herald that if all these factors are taken in consideration then the total expenditure will cross the Rs 40 lakh mark. He added that the candidates have challenged the expenditure calculated by the officials. Furthermore, all the six candidates have claimed that they did not hire buses. Dinakar Shetty stated that Modi fans had hired buses, jeeps, and taxis to attend the event. He claimed that his total poll expenditure was Rs 37 lakh.
Deputy Commissioner Prabhuling Kavalikatti mentioned that the officials have seeked information from the government of Goa regarding people who have hired Kadamba buses. A report will be sent to Election Commission based on the data collected from district administration for further action, he added.
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TMC will be voted back to power in Bengal: Tejashwi Yadav
Patna (PTI): Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, on Tuesday exuded confidence that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC will again be voted to power in West Bengal.
Yadav returned to Patna after a four-day poll campaign in West Bengal.
“The atmosphere there is euphoric and people want to bring Didi (Mamata Banerjee) back to power. I am fully confident that the TMC will win the election,” he told reporters here.
He said that a large number of people from Bihar living in West Bengal share a lot of love and respect for Mamata Banerjee.
Responding to BJP’s allegations that the TMC had “ruined” West Bengal during its tenure, the RJD leader said the “entire country has been ruined under the Narendra Modi-led government”.
“I want to ask one question to Modi ji – you have been prime minister for more than 11 years, tell me one thing you have done for Bengal,” Yadav said.
The first phase of elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
