.As Congress is heading governments in only three states, of which only Telangana and Karnataka are potential to mobilise financial resources, these two states are said to be funding for the party to face elections in various parts of the country. During recent elections in both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, Congress governments in these two states have reportedly provided huge resources towards poll campaigns.
Likewise, for the ongoing elections in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand also the burden of funding poll expenses is said to be leveled on these two states Congress leaders. As Congress is in deep crisis in Karnataka on one side with severe corruption allegations against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state government facing severe financial crisis to fund its poll promises, most of the burden is said to be passed on Telangana Congress leaders.
In Telangana Congress besides chief minister Revanth Reddy, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy is said to be playing a key role in funding party campaigns in other states. Moreover, for Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, from where party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is contesting also Telangana Congress asked to provide resources.
These charges, levelled by different quarters, are not new, but they add to the growing scrutiny of the party’s financial dealings, especially in the wake of the Musi River rejuvenation project being taken up at a mammoth Rs 1.5 lakh crore.
Maharashtra’s Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to seal the borders of Maharashtra with Karnataka and Telangana, alleging that hundreds of crores of rupees were flowing from these Congress-ruled States into Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Kiran Pawaskar stated that individuals from Karnataka and Telangana were allegedly tasked with transporting large sums of money into Maharashtra to influence the Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar also alleged that funds from Telangana were being used to finance elections in other States like Haryana, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the HYDRA system is a key extortion method for funds from realtors where HYDRA is targeting properties of the poor and the middle-class but not the constructions of major real estate firms and elite properties.
The video of Congress top leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among others getting down from a helicopter went viral on social media last week. Opposition parties were quick to point out that the Gandhis were using the same helicopter hired by the Congress government in Telangana for official purposes including district visits of several Ministers.
