Shreyas H S
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Apr 10: In a bad news for Janardhan Poojary, the Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Dakshina Kannada constituency, the election officials have added the expenses of the recent Rahul Gandhi rally in the city to Poojary's account, despite the party doing its best to avoid such a situation.
AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed a public rally at Nehru Maidan on April 4.
The Congress party that had doubled checked the regulations to ensure that the expense does not fall on the local candidate. On the day of the rally the party meticulously handled the programme. Even hoardings featuring pictures of the candidate were not erected, so as to avoid the expenses that Poojary would incur by doing so.
However, in spite of all that care, the Congress party was dumbfounded when chief minister Siddaramaiah and KPPC president K Parameshwar sought votes in the name of the candidate.
District electoral officer and Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim told daijiworld that 'If the candidate's name is announced by the campaigner from the dais then the expenses of the rally should be borne by the candidate'. However, this does not amount to any violation of model code of conduct, he added.
Further speaking, he said on the day of Rahul Gandhi’s rally the Janardhan Poojary's name was announced by the main campaigners to seek votes. This was recorded by the officials of the election commission present at the venue who later decided to include the expenses of organizing the rally in Poojary’s account. Regulations demand the campaigners on the dais not to spell out the name of the candidate to seek votes.
Official sources said that Rs 6,98,401 was spent on the rally, and the same amount was debited to Poojary's account.
Janardhana Poojary speaking to daijiworld said he would abide by law. "They (election officials) say that I have to bear the expenses. I will do what the law says and take it in my stride," he said.