The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday accused the Bellary District Election Officer (DEO) of “obstructing” the election campaign of its candidate B. Sriramulu in the guise of preventing malpractice.
Complaint lodgedThe party has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Addressing a press conference here, BJP State spokesperson S. Suresh Kumar alleged that Bellary Deputy Commissioner and DEO Amlan Aditya Biswas had posted gunmen for Mr. Sriramulu and five of his close aides, though they had not sought such security. The gunmen were not only following them wherever they went, but were also recording their interactions with others, he alleged.
“These gunmen follow them even into closed-door meetings being held to formulate election strategies,” he said, demanding that the restrictions be withdrawn.
Black moneyRegarding the concern expressed by the ECI that the use of black money was rampant in Bellary, Mr. Kumar maintained that if the commission had employed a strategy to check the use of black money, it should apply to candidates across parties. “Why is such a surveillance mechanism confined only to the BJP candidates,” he asked.
