AIMIM hurls bribe charge at Congress, Cong candidate rejects allegation
Hyderabad, Nov 20: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has alleged that the Congress candidate in Nirmal constituency in poll-bound Telangana attempted to offer Rs 25 lakh as "party fund" to cancel his rally in support of the TRS in the town, a charge denied by the Congress.
Addressing a public meeting organised by his party at Nirmal Monday night, Owaisi claimed that he had a recorded phone conversation of the Congress candidate A Maheshwar Reddy's offer of Rs 25 lakh to a local All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader as "party fund" for cancelling his meeting.
Rejecting the charge, Reddy termed it "baseless and false" and said he would quit politics if Owaisi proved it.
AIMIM, which is on friendly terms with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), has not fielded its candidate in Nirmal assembly seat, and organised the meeting in support of the ruling party candidate though there was no formal electoral tie-up between the two parties for the December 7 Assembly elections.
The AIMIM is contesting eight seats all in Hyderabad, while the TRS is going it alone in the polls to the 119-member assembly.
The Congress heading a 'grand alliance' of TDP, CPI and TJS has announced candidates for 94 segments.
"Now when this jalsa (meeting) is happening the Congress people tried to buy Asaduddin Owaisi.
Maheshwar (Reddy) phoned a AIMIM leader telling him to stop Owaisi Saheb (from holding the meeting in Nirmal), (and) will give Rs 25 lakh party fund. I have the recording (of that phone conversation)," Owaisi said at the meeting.
This Congress candidate wants to buy my party for Rs 25 lakh.
These people think we do deal for our party, Rs 25 lakh that is the sign of their arrogance," the Hyderabad MP said.
Refuting Owaisi's allegations, Reddy dared Owaisi to prove the charge with evidence.
"Why should somebody stop someone's rally. Owaisi has already started campaigning for TRS party and now this man says that he is being stopped with an offer of Rs 25 lakh.
Why somebody will offer him Rs 25 lakh and why he will stop," he told PTI.
"I want to make it very clear if really somebody had called him or met him or if he has any evidence let him show the evidence. I am ready to take it as a challenge and I am ready to quit politics if it is proved.
Is he ready to quit politics, if it is untrue?" he asked.
They were talking of something which was "baseless and false," Reddy added.
Reacting to Owaisi's remarks, Congress party's star campaigner Khushbu Sundar told a press conference that the AIMIM chief should come out with proof.
"He (Owaisi) has to prove it. All I want to say is other than coming out with such an allegation, he should have come out with evidence first and then see if Rahul Gandhi takes action ( issue).
We don't think that the AIMIM is such big group that it is going to threaten the Congress party (party opportunities). It is a very small group and communal group," she said.
She alleged that there was a nexus among BJP, TRS and AMIM parties.
Meanwhile, the BJP Tuesday demanded that the Election Commission take cognisance of Owaisi's comments.
"What Owaisi has stated constitutes an attempt in electoral corruption," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told reporters here.
"Because, the state is currently undergoing election campaigning, Election Commission must take cognisance of this and must enquire into this and establish as to the culpability of the parties involved," he said.
The Congress party's desperation and its old habit of indulging in vote bank politics is once again evident, he claimed.
"This also shows some kind of a nexus between the Congress party and AIMIM led by Owaisi," Narasimha Rao said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Cong high command, CM to decide on K'taka Cabinet reshuffle: Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said any decision regarding the cabinet reshuffle rests solely with the Congress high command and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
His remarks come as several party legislators step up their demands for a ministerial role.
Defending the MLAs' right to express their desires, the minister said, "It is natural to have aspirations and there is nothing wrong in seeking a minister post. What is wrong in them (MLAs) asking for an opportunity? Whether to give or not is upto the high command to decide... it is the Chief Minister's discretion..."
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said the high command will look into these things and decide what needs to be done.
A group of senior Congress legislators, who have served as MLAs for over three terms, called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, urging him to rejig the cabinet and give them an opportunity to serve as Ministers.
The group of about 40 legislators has planned to travel to New Delhi on April 11 after the by-polls, to meet the Congress high command and discuss the induction of at least 20 of them during the reshuffle.
Some first and second-time legislators have also recently pressed for a cabinet reshuffle.
Amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress with speculations about CM change that has intensified after the government completed half way mark in November, a section of Congress MLAs has been pushing for a cabinet rejig for some time, with several aspirants openly expressing their wish to be inducted.
Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the chief minister. Two cabinet berths are currently vacant — following the resignation of B Nagendra over allegations of embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, and the sacking of K N Rajanna from the cabinet on the instructions of the party high command.
Asked whether the Congress faced difficulty in finalising candidates for the April 9 by-polls to Bagalkot and Davangere South Assembly segments, Parameshwara said there was no difficulty, and that the party is evaluating candidates in both constituencies, based on winnability as a criterion.
"The Davangere seat was earlier represented by Shamanur Shivashankarappa, so naturally there is demand for the ticket for his family, also as the minority community population is higher in that segment they too are asking for the ticket. Ultimately, the party will decide. In Bagalkote too, there is a demand that tickets be given to the late MLA Meti's son; there are also other aspirants there seeking tickets. The party will decide," he said.
Based on reports from the local workers about winnability, the party will decide on the candidates, he added.
Bypolls for the Bagalkote and Davanagere South assembly constituencies have been necessitated following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
To a question regarding AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala's visit to the state, the Home Minister said he is most likely here for discussions regarding the by-polls, and there may also be other matters.
"AICC General Secretary may have come with certain mandates."
_vb_30.jpeg)
_vb_28.jpeg)
_vb_39.jpeg)