The campaigning for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections has temporarily subdued across the nation as security measures intensify. Police have implemented stringent security measures, including the establishment of checkpoints at various locations.
Efforts are underway to curb crime and illegal activities during the election season, with occasional police raids resulting in the confiscation of cash and liquor supplies. Additionally, reports of money distribution are surfacing ahead of the third phase of voting, scheduled for tomorrow.
Members of the Congress candidate Mrinal Hebbalkar team in the Belgaum Lok Sabha Constituency were discovered distributing money door-to-door in Gokak. Police have intervened and are taking action regarding this incident.
On May 7, the third phase of Lok Sabha elections is underway. There’s a shift in tactics as campaigners have dialed down during the day, with activities escalating at night to entice voters. In Belgaum, Congress candidate Mrinal Hebbalkar’s representatives were apprehended by BJP supporters and subsequently handed over to the police for distributing money to voters. Authorities have confiscated twenty lakh rupees from them.
BJP workers apprehended five individuals in the act of distributing money intended for Congress candidate Mrinal Hebbalkar in the Gokak constituency, a BJP stronghold. A substantial amount of money was found stored in the residence of one of the activists, earmarked for distribution among voters in the Lok Sabha constituency. Upon learning of the illicit campaign, BJP workers swiftly caught the distributors in the act.
Five individuals were caught in the act of distributing one thousand rupees door-to-door, with the money in their possession. Notably, upon the arrival of BJP workers, Congress members attempted to flee. The BJP workers handed over the sum of Rs 20 lakh, intended for voter distribution, to the police. Additionally, the police seized documents and money belonging to the Congress candidate from a vehicle. A case has been filed at the Gokak police station regarding this incident.
In Belgaum, the BJP has put forward former Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar as its candidate. Recognizing the significant presence of the Lingayat community in the area, the Congress has chosen Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar, the son of Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, as its nominee. Consequently, the BJP is encountering a formidable challenge for the first time in the past two decades.
