Kerala BJP Faces Allegations of Election Fund Irregularities, Leadership Launches Probe

According to local media reports, the BJP in Kerala, headed by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has launched a “secret” investigation into allegations of election fund fraud. According to local media reports, party leaders suspect party members may be behind the alleged irregularities. The leadership is also reportedly planning action to identify those who leak confidential information.

Chandrasekhar is expected to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

The audio recordings had earlier emerged as evidence of election fund irregularities within the BJP. One of the records reportedly includes a representative of a company supplying party flags who confirmed that the minister of state had received a commission of Rs. 31 lakh for flag purchase.

In another audio recording obtained by local media, a state committee member is alleged to be discussing how Rs. 16 lakh could be spent by creating a fake bill in the name of deduction used during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow. In the records, the representative of the company supplying the flags allegedly said that the state minister was paid a salary of Rs. 31 lakhs as advance commission.

The agent claims that the remaining Rs. 4.65 lakh was supposed to be paid after the elections but now no one is answering the calls. According to the report, although the Center supplied the flags free of charge, the state government had also purchased the flags independently during the election period.

The second recording allegedly relates to irregularities related to disruptions made during Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Thiruvananthapuram during the final phase of the campaign. Cuttings of different sizes were printed for the event. In the recording, a state committee member on the election promotion committee allegedly discussed the alleged diversion of funds by drafting a fake bill in the name of cuts.

The recordings reportedly emerged as alleged evidence of irregularities mentioned in the complaint submitted to the general secretary of the national organization of the BJP. Despite this, the BJP leadership claimed there was no fraud and avoided investigation, the report alleges.