Vidhan Parishad poll: BJP gives rebel candidate Raghupati Bhat 24 hours to withdraw nomination
Udupi: BJP State General Secretary V Sunil Kumar has directed senior party member and former MLA Raghupati Bhat to withdraw his nomination as Independent candidate for the Karnataka Legislative Council election within 24 hours, failing which, disciplinary action would be taken against him by party leaders.
Bhat, who was denied the BJP ticket from the South West Graduates constituency of the Council, decided to contest the polls independently and filed his nomination papers as a rebel candidate of the BJP.
Sunil Kumar, who is also the Karkala legislator, told reporters at a press meet in Udupi on Thursday that he was appealing to Bhat as a friend to immediately withdraw his candidature as the BJP High Command would take strict action against any member who indulged in anti-party activities or was guilty of causing embarrassment to the entire party.
When asked about the party leaders delaying the process of taking action on Raghupati Bhat whereas the alleged violation by former Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa during the ongoing Lok Sabha election had drawn an immediate response, Sunil Kumar refuted the notion that the party leaders were being selective in such matters. He insisted that disciplinary action would be taken not only on Bhat but any party member who contested against the official candidate of the party, adding that the party members had expressed confidence in Bhat deciding to withdraw his nomination.
Sunil Kumar said that the party was focusing on ensuring the victory of the candidates rather than worrying about rebel members. The ground-level workers of the party were being roped in to campaign for the BJP candidates, he added.
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Paper leak mafia thriving under BJP's double-engine governments: Bhagwant Mann
Shimla (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday slammed the Centre over the alleged NEET paper leak and said that such incidents are surfacing in regions governed by the BJP's 'double-engine' and 'triple-engine' governments.
He said the leak and cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance test (NEET) 2026 examination is a major failure on the part of the Union government.
"This is not the first time that a paper leak has happened. Such incidents have surfaced in 2017, 2021, 2024, and now even in 2026 and every time, a CBI inquiry is initiated, arrests are made, yet after a short while, the accused are released on bail," he said.
Mann, who arrived at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium to boost the morale of the Punjab Kings team ahead of their upcoming IPL match, told the media that lakhs of students toil day and night, harbouring dreams of transforming their families' fortunes, but when exams are cancelled due to paper leaks, these students are left heartbroken.
The NEET 2026 paper held on May 3 was cancelled on May 12 after reports of a paper leak in Rajasthan.
He said that the paper leak mafia is predominantly surfacing in regions governed by the BJP's 'double-engine' and 'triple-engine' governments. "Paper leaked, dreams shattered, the country's administrative system is unable to conduct even a single examination properly", he added.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mann said that while Modi imposes various restrictions on the public, he himself continues to embark on foreign tours.
He asserted that the public deserves to know the country's true economic situation.
"The prime minister must disclose the current status of the country's oil reserves, the extent of our gold reserves, and fundamentally why restrictions are being imposed on every single commodity", he said.
No other nation has imposed such restrictions and the ongoing war is being used as a pretext, even though the country's economy is already in a precarious state, Mann added.
Regarding the ongoing campaign against drugs in Punjab, Mann said that the state government is continuously taking action against drug traffickers and asserted that a large number of traffickers are being sent to jail and that Punjab will soon move towards becoming drug-free.
Speaking about the upcoming IPL match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians to be held in Dharamshala, Mann said that he also holds the portfolio of Punjab's sports minister and has arrived in Dharamshala to cheer the team.
