Karnataka poll: BJP spent over Rs 122 cr for campaign, Rs 84 cr for media and publicity
New Delhi, Jan 16: The BJP has spent over Rs 122 crore to contest assembly elections in Karnataka, with more than Rs 84 crore used for media and publicity, according to the expenditure details submitted by the party to the Election Commission.
The party incurred an expenditure of another Rs 14 crore for contesting similar polls in three northeast states.
It recently submitted 'election expenditure statements' for polls in four states and said it has spent Rs 122.68 crore during the Karnataka polls that took place in May last year. The JDS-Congress coalition formed government in the state after the polls.
Out of the total funds, more than Rs 84 crore was spent on advertisements in print and electronic media, bulk SMSes, cable, websites and general party propaganda, the BJP said in its report to the EC.
This was followed by expenditure of over RS 16 crore for travel of its star campaigners in the state, the report said.
The party also sent to the commission a similar report of expenses, made by its central office and state units, for contesting polls in the Northeast states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland.
The report filed by the BJP stated that over Rs 14.18 crore has been spent to contest polls in these states, where elections took place last year.
While in Meghalaya the party spent Rs 3.8 crore, it spent Rs 6.96 crore in Tripura and Rs 3.36 crore in Nagaland.
The expenses include cost incurred by the party under various heads like star campaigners, media, publicity, processions, helicopter sorties, election paraphernalia and road travel of its leaders and candidates.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
