Alcohol distributed at BJP MP K Sudhakar's party thrown for poll win, crowd goes out of control
Bengaluru: A thanksgiving event for BJP-JDS workers, hosted by the newly elected Chikkaballapur BJP Lok Sabha member Dr. K Sudhakar in Nelamangala on Sunday, descended into chaos as attendees scrambled to collect free liquor being distributed at the venue. The event, allegedly sponsored by Nelamangala BJP president Jagadish Chowdhary, saw police struggling to manage the crowd and eventually had to stand by as the situation spiraled out of control.
According to eyewitnesses, the event featured non-vegetarian food, beer, and packets of hard liquor. Many participants were seen passing out at the venue. Organizers had expected a crowd of 10,000-15,000, but over 60,000 people turned up, making crowd control nearly impossible, said a police officer. “Even with the expected numbers, it would have still been difficult to control the crowd,” the officer added.
A letter has also surfaced in which BJP MP Sudhakar had previously written to the police department requesting security for the event, explicitly mentioning that alcohol would be served.
Bengaluru Rural SP CK Baba had earlier instructed the excise department not to grant a liquor license, but this directive was ignored.
"The Police department had placed restrictions and told the organisers not to serve alcohol at the event. They were also told that cases would be booked if they violated the conditions. However, they took permission from the Excise Department to serve alcohol," SP CK Baba said.
Excise Deputy Commissioner Nagesh Kumar stated that the organizers applied for permission and paid a fee of Rs 11,500, after which a one-day license was issued.
Assembly Opposition Leader R Ashoka, former MLA Nagaraju, and former MLC E Krishnappa from JDS also attended the event. Dr. Sudhakar distanced himself from the liquor distribution, claiming, “I am not aware of the distribution of liquor and I do not encourage such things. The participants might have bought liquor somewhere and had it at the venue.”
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao criticized the event on social media, stating, “Saying one thing, doing another, how to believe them (BJP)... BJP leaders are busy distributing liquor while the state is dengue-stricken. Where are the BJP leaders who questioned venturing into swimming when I visited Mangaluru? Is this (distribution of liquor) your culture?”
Sudhakar defeated Congress candidate MS Raksha Ramaiah by over 1.5 lakh votes.
Chikkaballapur, one of Karnataka's 28 Lok Sabha seats, was established in 1977 after the reorganization of Indian states. The constituency saw a 77% voter turnout in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26.
BJP newly elected MP from chikkaballapur Dr K Sudhakar holds open alcohol party to thanks voters.
— Shantanu (@shaandelhite) July 8, 2024
People were brought in trucks and alcohol bottles were distributed among them.
Sanskar of the BJP …. pic.twitter.com/UxUHThjgDk
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We will move court again to resist voter deletions: Mamata
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hit out at the BJP and the Election Commission over voter deletions during the SIR exercise and said her party will move a court again to resist the removal of electors from the rolls.
Her comments came after nearly 91 lakh voters' names were deleted from the electoral rolls following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision in the state.
“You will not be able to defeat the TMC by deleting names. We will move a court again to resist the exclusion of names," Banerjee said while attacking her principal challenger BJP over the roll revision exercise.
Banerjee had in February argued in the Supreme Court as she sought an intervention in the SIR process.
The EC figures, which pushed the total deletion to over 90.83 lakh names from the original voter base of 7.66 crore in October 2025, showed that the proportion of removal of electors now remains at over 11.85 per cent.
Criticising the poll panel over the SIR process, she also said, "We will fight legally to get the names included on the list as per the Constitution. If people cannot cast their votes, what is the need to frame the tribunal? And then you are saying that the list has been frozen. What is this? We will challenge it and try to understand it."
Addressing a poll rally at Arambagh in Hooghly district, the TMC supremo accused the saffron party of trying to manipulate the electoral rolls and offering money to woo voters.
Banerjee also charged the Election Commission with intimidating people over the phone.
“It (EC) is working at the behest of the BJP. It is calling people over the telephone to threaten and intimidate them,” she claimed.
Later, while speaking at a rally in Balagarh in the same district, Banerjee warned that voting for the BJP would effectively mean "giving up fish, meat, and speaking in Bengali".
“People are not allowed to eat eggs, fish, or meat in the BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. The same will happen here if the BJP comes to power," Banerjee claimed.
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