Mangaluru: BJP denies selling party tickets amidst Chaithra Kundapura scandal
Mangaluru: Amidst the recent controversy surrounding the arrest of Hindutva activist Chaithra Kundapura for allegedly defrauding an Udupi businessman of Rs 5 crore by promising him a BJP ticket for the last Assembly election, senior BJP leader CT Ravi clarified in a press conference that the party does not engage in the practice of selling tickets for monetary gain.
Addressing reporters at the Sangha Niketana Hall in Mangaluru, CT Ravi, who is in the city to prepare for the upcoming elections, stated, "Unlike the incident involving Chaithra Kundapura, the BJP does not have a system of accepting money from individuals in exchange for party tickets. Many of our elected representatives, including BJP legislators from Byndoor and Sullia, come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. In the current case, the truth will only emerge after a thorough investigation."
Ravi also offered his perspective on the matter, suggesting that Udupi businessman Govinda Babu Poojary should have exercised caution and conducted inquiries to avoid falling victim to deception.
Regarding the party's election preparations, Ravi mentioned, "We are gearing up for the Assembly elections in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. While discussions with JD(S) leaders have taken place, the BJP has yet to make a final decision on forming an alliance."
He further noted that the delay in selecting the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly could be seen as a political strategy employed by the BJP.
The press conference in Mangaluru was attended by Dakshina Kannada District President of the BJP Sudarshan Moodbidri, former minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, former MLA Monappa Bhandary, MCC Mayor Sudhir Shetty, party spokesperson Ravishankar Mijar, and member Randeep Kanchan.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
