Assam Chief Minister and BJP’s co-in-charge for the Jharkhand Assembly elections, Himanta Biswa Sarma, made a big charge on Friday, accusing the Congress party of selling a portion of its tickets during elections. Addressing the media, Himanta Sarma stated, “I was in Congress, and this is the system in Congress – they sell 20% of tickets and use that money in the election. If Congress is handing out 100 tickets, 20 of those are sold. This is their general norm, I don’t know what happened here but I am just telling you about my experience… NDA will get even stronger in the days to come, and we are contesting election very well.”
Responding to Congress MP Pappu Yadav’s remarks calling him a “gunda” (goon), the Assam Chief Minister said, “Am I a goon? In our Assam, this concept doesn’t exist. We are simple, straightforward people, we don’t have this concept. But if he thinks so, so be it.”
कांग्रेस का एक System है। 20% टिकट वे बेच देते हैं, और वह पैसा दिल्ली जाता है।
आज रांची एयरपोर्ट पर मीडिया से कई विषयों पर बात की।
📍रांची pic.twitter.com/WAWIAbf470
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 25, 2024
BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also supported Sarma’s claims. Speaking to IANS, Bhandari remarked, “What the esteemed Himanta Biswa Sarma has said is true. The Congress party is a party of looters. It is a party of corruption, where tickets are sold and bought. There are land scams that fill the coffers of the Gandhi family. Priyanka Vadra enjoys a comfortable life despite having an income tax rebate of eighty crores.:
“In this party, only the disrespect of women occurs, and those who honour women are expelled from the party. If the ‘C’ in Congress stands for Congress, then it also stands for corruption. Every Congress leader is connected through corruption; the bigger the corrupt individual, the bigger the Congress leader,” he alleged.
Delhi: BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari says, “What the esteemed Himanta Biswa Sarma has said is true. The Congress party is a party of looters. It is a party of corruption, where tickets are sold and bought. There are land scams that fill the coffers of the Gandhi… pic.twitter.com/0QOs4d2nMY
— IANS (@ians_india) October 25, 2024
Jharkhand Election: Ex-CM Champai Soren Files Nomination As BJP’s Saraikela Candidate
Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, former Chief Minister Champai Soren filed his nomination papers as the BJP nominee from the Saraikela assembly constituency on Friday. The constituency is among the 43 that will go to polls in the first phase on November 13. The nomination process for this phase, which began on October 18, concluded on Friday.
He took to X and posted, “Today I filed my nomination as a BJP candidate from Saraikela Assembly constituency. The enthusiasm of the people during the nomination amidst heavy rain was heart touching. All of you are requested to pave the way for change of power in Jharkhand by voting for the lotus symbol. Jai Jharkhand!”
आज सरायकेला विधानसभा से भाजपा प्रत्याशी के तौर पर नामांकन किया। भारी बारिश के बीच नामांकन के दौरान जनता का उत्साह दिल को छू गया।
आप सभी से अनुरोध है कि कमल के निशान पर वोट देकर, झारखंड में सत्ता परिवर्तन का मार्ग प्रशस्त कीजिए।
जय झारखंड ! pic.twitter.com/7W0b5WQsGP
— Champai Soren (@ChampaiSoren) October 25, 2024
Soren, who joined the BJP on August 30, citing “insult and humiliation” by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leaders, expressed optimism about the party’s prospects. “There is a wave in favour of the BJP in the Kolhan region as well as entire Jharkhand. The BJP will form the government this time,” he stated.
JMM candidate Ganesh Mahli, who recently defected from the BJP, also submitted his nomination papers for the Saraikela seat. Mahli’s candidature was announced by the JMM in its fourth list released on Thursday.
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The Jharkhand Assembly polls are set to be conducted in two phases – November 13 and November 20 – with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23. By Thursday, a total of 433 candidates had filed their nomination papers for the 43 constituencies in the first phase. The filing of nominations for the second phase commenced on October 22 and will continue until October 29.