Mangalore: BSR Congress candidates rebel against district president

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (VM)

Mangalore, Mar 6: In what may termed as a setback to Sriramulu-led BSR Congress party even before it could make its presence felt in the city, a few election candidates of the party revolted against their district president for allegedly 'duping' them.

Two of the candidates on Wednesday March 6 alleged that BSR Congress district president Alekkaddy Girish Rai had not paid them election expenses even though he had promised to do before canvassing began.

Altogether, there are 13 candidates from BSR Congress contesting for MCC, out of which five are women.

On Wednesday, a day before the voting, three of the women candidates visited Girish's house in Kadri Kambala to demand the money. However, he was not at home.

Speaking to daijiworld, Flossy Pinto, who is contesting from Valencia (ward no 48), said that Girish had promised to pay for the election expenses before the campaigning, but when the campaign started, he asked them to put their own money with a promised to pay them later.

"When campaigning started, I took loan and put in Rs 70,000 as there was no other go. From past one week I have been calling him but without getting any response. He is not to be found at his house either," she said.

"When I finally sent him SMS warning that I would approach the media, he replied that he would take us to meet Sriramulu soon after the voting and give us the money. But we cannot trust his statement," she added.

"Pamphlets were supposed to reach Mangalore from Bellary, but even that has not happened," she said.

Another candidate, Irene D'Silva who is contesting from Maroli (ward no 37) said that she spent Rs 50,000 from her own earnings along with some part of her son's salary. Urging the media to help her out, she said, "We have invested money into campaigning with great difficulty. We tried to contact higher officials too, but they only told us not to worry and that Girish would pay us."

Girish Rai denies

When contacted, Girish Rai brushed off the allegations saying that as the party is backed by Reddy brothers, people have the wrong notion that there is plenty of money. "The reality is that the district has received no money at all from the party heads or from Sriramulu. In fact, to open the office here I put money from my own pocket," he claimed, adding that BSR Congress is a cadre-based party.

"I even spent money on making some pamphlets and advertisements. These candidates are desperate as they are not getting any money and hence levelling false charges against me," he said.

He also denied allegations that he had gone missing, and said, "I have been in the city all the while, except for a few days when I was away for personal reasons. I did not run away or avoid them."

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