A BJP MLA, Ramesh Jarikiholi, announced at a public programme in Karnataka’s Belagavi that he will be spending Rs 6,000 per voter ahead of the assembly elections. The BJP has, however, distanced itself from the matter, saying the party did not stand by his “personal statement”.
Jarikiholi, while accusing Congress leader Lakshmi Hebbalkar of spending Rs 3,000 on each voter to distribute gifts, said he will spend double the amount for each vote and also told people not to vote for him if he failed to do so.
“The gifts that they distributed a day before would cost Rs 70 to Rs 80 in the market. Today, the gifts distributed will be Rs 600 to Rs 800, and the total value may come up to Rs 1,000. If they distribute again, the total will be Rs 3,000. Don’t vote for us if we don’t give you Rs 6,000,” Jarikiholi said.
The BJP said this was Jarikiholi’s personal statement and the party did not stand by it. “There’s no place for such things in our party. If some person gives a statement, it’s not the statement of the party. It’s his personal matter,” said BJP MLA and Belagavi incharge Govind Karjol.
Hebbalkar was accused of distributing pressure cooker and non-stick tawa to women voters in Belagavi last week.
Jarikiholi’s statement has added to a string of embarrassments for the state BJP following the alleged 40% commission controversy and BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel’s “love jihad” remark.
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