BALLARI: A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on the homes and offices of several Congress MLAs and an MP in connection with the ST Welfare Board corruption case, party leaders in Ballari claimed the move has only strengthened their unity.

On Wednesday, the ED targeted the residences of Ballari Rural MLA B Nagendra, Ballari City MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, Kampli MLA JN Ganesh, Kudligi MLA Dr NT Srinivas, and Ballari MP E Tukaram. The raids lasted over 15 hours, with the agency collecting a few documents for further investigation.

Addressing the media, MP Tukaram confirmed the raid was linked to the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Board. He maintained his innocence, saying, “I answered all their questions. Senior leaders like AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, CM Siddaramaiah, and Dy CM DK Shivakumar have extended moral support. The BJP’s claims that the funds were diverted for the Lok Sabha campaign are baseless.”

MLA Bharath Reddy asserted that no money or incriminating documents were seized from his premises. “The ED only sought a few bank statements, which I will provide shortly. The BJP’s attempts to create divisions won’t work. Our focus remains on development,” he said.

Congress leaders dismissed the raids as politically motivated and said the party in Ballari is standing stronger than ever.