FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024
Team Herald
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee has lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, alleging the misuse of public funds by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the ongoing election campaign in Goa.
The complaint letter, addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer, highlights the purported misuse of resources by the ruling BJP government. According to the letter, BJP campaigners have been distributing booklets printed by the Department of Information and Publicity, Government of Goa, at public expense. This, the Congress alleges, amounts to an abuse of power and taxpayers' money for partisan campaigning.
Furthermore, the letter asserts that the BJP has failed to declare any expenditure related to these activities, thereby violating the Model Code of Conduct. The incident in question reportedly took place during a campaign event in Khorlim Mapusa, Goa, on April 30, 2024.
Expressing dismay over the Election Commission's purported failure to detect and address this violation, the Congress has urged immediate intervention to halt the alleged illegal distribution of materials. Additionally, they have called for an investigation into the source of the booklets and demanded that the expenses incurred on printing be attributed to the BJP's candidate in North Goa. Moreover, the Director of Information & Publicity has been implicated in the complaint for allegedly colluding with BJP workers to supply booklets printed with taxpayers' money.
