BJP stages walkout in Himachal Assembly over election code violation allegations

The protest was sparked by BJP MLA Ashish Sharma's question regarding alleged fund transfers to women's groups (Mahila Mandals) during the Dehra by-election.

According to Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, the government failed to provide a clear response to Sharma's query, prompting the BJP legislative members to walk out of the Assembly in protest. Thakur alleged that the government was attempting to hide facts and not providing a fact-based response.

He claimed that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu initially responded by saying that information was still being gathered. However, Sharma insisted that he already had partial information and was seeking a full disclosure.

The BJP has alleged that the government transferred funds to Mahila Mandals during the Dehra by-election, violating the Model Code of Conduct. Thakur stated that amounts of Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,00,000 were deposited into the accounts of Mahila Mandals on the exact days of polling.

"The information available suggests that while the Model Code of Conduct was in effect in Dehra, amounts of Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,00,000 were deposited into the accounts of Mahila Mandals. This was during the time when the Chief Minister's wife was contesting the election, and the funds were allegedly transferred via the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank," Jairam Thakur stated.

The BJP has demanded a clear explanation from the government and has threatened to file a formal complaint with the Election Commission and take the matter to court.

He further asserted that transactions of this nature were not permissible under the Model Code of Conduct unless they are part of pre-established government schemes.

He dismissed the Deputy Chief Minister's repeated comparisons to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, arguing that the latter was a structured scheme with a fixed schedule, whereas the alleged fund transfers to women's groups appeared irregular and suspicious.

"It is shocking that these transfers were made on the exact days of polling--on July 7, 8, 9, and even on July 10, the day of voting itself. We have received information that funds were credited to Mahila Mandals without any formal request from them. If there was no specific government scheme under which these funds were issued, then the only logical conclusion is that they were meant to influence the election in favor of the Chief Minister's wife, who was the Congress candidate. This is a blatant violation of the election code and an abuse of government resources," Jairam Thakur alleged.

"Since the government is attempting to hide facts and is not providing a fact-based response, the BJP legislative party deemed it appropriate to walk out of the House and take our concerns to the people," Thakur declared.

MLA Ashish Sharma also expressed his dissatisfaction over the government's lack of transparency in answering his query.

"Today in the Assembly, I raised a question regarding how much money was transferred to Mahila Mandals in Dehra during the by-election while the Model Code of Conduct was in place. The government failed to provide me with any official data, though sources indicate that hundreds of Mahila Mandals received these funds. We sought clarification on whether this was a case of 'cash for votes,' with government funds being misused for electoral gains," Sharma said.

He further stated that he had called for an investigation by central agencies and an appeal to the Election Commission.

"This is a clear case of misusing government money, misusing power, and engaging in corruption through the backdoor. It sets a dangerous precedent where public funds meant for development are allegedly being used to buy votes. I believe anyone can see that funds were deposited on polling days. Why was it necessary to transfer cash to Mahila Mandals at that exact time?" Sharma questioned.

Further, Sharma claimed that Chief Minister Sukhu assured them that the matter would be examined, but he remained skeptical about whether any fair investigation would take place.

"As an opposition MLA, it is my right to question the government and to hold them accountable. If my allegations are wrong, let them prove it. But as of now, all evidence points to a clear violation of electoral norms," he asserted.

The BJP has indicated that it will continue to press for answers and is considering filing a formal complaint with the Election Commission and even taking the matter to court. (ANI)