By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Apr: The Bharatiya Janata Party today demanded an immediate clarification from the Congress party over allegations of ticket-selling, terming the matter serious and damaging to public trust. Addressing a press conference at BJP State Headquarters here today, senior BJP MLA and state spokesman of BJP, Vinod Chamoli said the Congress must publicly disclose which tickets were allegedly sold during the 2022 elections and for which 25 seats advance bookings have allegedly been made for the 2027 Assembly polls.
Chamoli said the allegations against Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal are serious, especially since a former Congress leader and social activist has openly levelled charges of financial transactions. He said that in case the money was indeed collected in the name of the party, then the Congress leadership must explain whether those funds were used for the party activities or for personal purposes. He challenged the Congress high command to ask its state president where the money referred to in the viral video has gone and to take appropriate action if any misuse is found.
Referring to the claims made by the former Congress functionary, Chamoli said it was shocking that the woman has alleged that 18 Assembly tickets were sold in the previous election and that deals have already been struck for 25 seats for the next election. He described the allegations as grave and shameful, noting that the Congress has neither issued a denial nor taken any visible disciplinary action so far. He said that as a major opposition party that has governed the state in the past, the Congress owes an explanation to the public on which 18 tickets were allegedly sold earlier and for which 25 seats advance bookings have purportedly been made for 2027.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Chamoli said corruption has been a recurring issue not only in Congress governments but also within the organisation. He alleged that accusations of ticket-selling were made even during Godiyal’s earlier tenure, when Congress leaders themselves had levelled similar charges against then party in-charges and senior functionaries. He said that the latest allegations assume greater significance because the complainant claims to have been close to Godiyal and senior leader Harish Rawat during her time in the party. He argued that the Congress leadership must take the matter seriously and come out with a public clarification.
Responding to Congress attempts to link the woman leader to the BJP, Chamoli said that if anyone levels serious allegations against the Congress president, it is natural for BJP workers, as members of a rival political party, to raise those issues. He said that the BJP would continue to highlight such matters through media and social media platforms, as it is both the duty of the opposition and a democratic obligation to expose wrongdoing. He added that the woman’s own statements and video clips show her proximity to Godiyal, Harish Rawat and other senior Congress leaders, making it evident that she was once closely associated with the party.
Chamoli further reminded that the woman concerned has alleged that Godiyal has worked to undermine Harish Rawat, opposed Pritam Singh and made remarks concerning Harak Singh Rawat, all of which are now in the public domain. He said that by making internal conversations public, the complainant has made it clear how closely she had been connected to the Congress leadership.
Chamoli claimed that the public is watching closely and is well aware of the Congress’ past actions. He added that allegations concerning future ticket distribution strike at the very heart of political integrity and morality and cannot be brushed aside. The press conference was also attended by BJP state media in-charge Manveer Chauhan, co-in-charge Rajendra Negi and party spokesperson Kamlesh Raman.
