'Cash sent by Congress was diverted to BJP voters in Tumkur'

Tumakuru: The Congress party’s Tumakuru unit has revealed in its report to the high command that the cash sent by the party to lure voters toward JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda was diverted to garner votes for the BJP candidate in the Tumkur Lok Sabha constituenc

In the report addressed to AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal by the Tumakuru District Congress Committee president R Ramakrishna, he concluded that Gowda’s shocking loss to BJP’s GS Basavaraju was the result of internal sabotage.

In the report Ramakrishna has stated, “even the money given by the Congress party was distributed to BJP voters, resulting in the BJP getting 72,909 votes (in Madhugiri).”

Ramakrishna also blamed Congress’ former Tumkur MP SP Muddahanumegowda by stating, “Despite knowing that the seat had been conceded to the JD(S), Muddahanumegowda andRajanna filed their nomination as independents, creating confusion among party workers. Then, dramatically, they withdrew their nomination and prevented their followers from working for the (coalition) candidate.”

Basavaraju defeated Gowda, a former prime minister, by 13,339 votes.