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Amidst recent defections from the Congress party in Uttarakhand ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Karan Mahara, the Uttarakhand Congress President, accused the BJP of using coercive tactics and offering personal incentives to lure leaders away.
On Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari's defection from the party, Mahara claimed that the leader had to compromise to safeguard himself from ongoing allegations. "Other than Rajendra Bhandari, several others have joined BJP, some of them were forced to do so and some of them were greedy. BJP had raised several allegations against the wife of Rajendra Bhandari. Vigilance probe is underway on this and Rajendra Bhandari received relief from the court twice on these cases. But, the government's pressure is such, that to save himself he has done this," Mahara said. "Everyone is trying to rinse and clean themselves in the BJP's washing machine but people will answer them. We will take these matters to people," he said. Mahara further accused the BJP of 'defaming' the Congress, by luring the leaders and toppling state governments. "They are trying to defame the party but the truth is all those who are leaving the party are doing so for their personal benefits. Cheaters are leaving the party but when Congress comes to power we will reopen these cases against them and those who have cheated on the nation, action will be taken against them," he said. Among the major leaders who quit the Congress party recently and joined the BJP are, Ex- Uttarakhand Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari, Former Congress MP Praneet Kaur, Ex- Maharashtra Padmakar Valvi, Former Congress leader Suresh Pachouri and others. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of procuring money through companies under the guise of electoral bonds and using the same money to topple governments in different states. The Congress MP said, "They (BJP) extort money through electoral bonds and then use the same to topple the governments of Maharashtra, Goa, Manipur, and Arunachal, wherever they want." (ANI)
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