Bengaluru: The Karnataka unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has urged the State Chief Electoral Officer to conduct a thorough investigation into the serious allegation of BJP’s legislative council member H. Vishwanath receiving Rs. 15 Crore to spend during elections, as disclosed by BJP MP V. Srinivas Prasad.
Prasad held a press conference on December 16 at a private hotel in Mysore, where he levelled a serious allegation that BJP candidate for the by-election in Hunsur in 2019, H. Vishwanath, had received Rs 15 crore but spent only Rs. 4-5 Crore out of it, AAP state convenor Prithvi Reddy said on Monday December 19.
Vishwanath has alleged that Prasad also took money for the elections.
“Rs. 15 Crore, as stated by Srinivas Prasad, is a huge amount. How did the BJP get this money? Why was it transferred to H. Vishwanath? How did Vishwanath spend Rs. 4-5 Crore from this? Where is the remaining Rs. 10 Crore now? These questions need to be answered. Only then will people have faith in the electoral system,” Reddy said.
According to the code of conduct of the Election Commission, a candidate is allowed to spend Rs. 28 lakh during elections.
“BJP MPs themselves have admitted that its candidate H. Vishwanath spent Rs. 4-5 Crore, which is more than 15 times the maximum limit set by the poll panel, he said.
“This is a massive electoral malpractice and a high-level and unbiased investigation is required into the matter. On behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party, we demand that the case should be taken up seriously, and an investigation should be conducted at the earliest and strict action should be taken against all those involved in the malpractice,” Reddy demanded.
