'Whose accounts are you attaching actor Sudeep's campaing expenses to?' AAP asks EC

BENGALURU: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday wanted to know to whom the Election Commission attached all the expenses of actor Sudeep’s campaign for the ensuing Assembly election.  Sudeep is campaigning for select Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominees.

At a  press conference here, Gangadhar, a member of AP’s State Advocates Unit, stated that Sudeep is not in the star campaigner list of BJP and he on Wednesday campaigned for BJP nominee Thippeswamy, contesting from Molakalmuru Assembly seat in Chitradurga and the actor travelled by helicopter and drove around in luxury cars.

According to Gangadhar, the cost of Sudeep’s campaign would be between Rs 15- Rs 40 lakh and asked the Election Commission “To whose account does the Election Commission add these expenses to?”

The AAP leader accused the Election Commission of acting in favour of BJP and adopting ‘nepotistic’ attitude towards AAP and alleged that Election officials are not responding to the complaints made by AAP leaders against BJP.

He pointed out to the notices served on AAP by Returning Officers in Gandhinagar, Bengaluru South, Mahalakshmi Layout and Rajarajeshwari seats in Bengaluru city for conducting door-to-door campaigning and questioned “How to canvas if door-to-door campaigning is not allowed?”

Gangadhar stated that BJP workers assaulted AAP workers during a street meeting in Toladinne village of Surpur Assembly seat in Yadgir district and doubted that Election Commission or the police department have taken note of the complaint lodged by AAP. “It is not right for election officers and police to work for the ruling party,” he alleged.