Gujarat polls: Party wanted Rs 50 lakh for allotting poll ticket, claims ex-Cong MLA

New Delhi: Amid the heated electioneering for Gujarat Assembly polls, former Congress MLA Kaminiba Rathod has made startling allegations about the party’s campaign organizers. She claimed that an amount of Rs 50 lakh was sought from her in return for allotting a poll ticket for Assembly polls. The state party unit has though denied ‘bribe for poll ticket’ charge and also demanded thorough investigation into the matter.

Rathod was a legislator from the Dehgam seat, for the period 2012-2017. In a video, she claimed “I was told to pay Rs 50 lakh amount for getting myself fielded on a Congress ticket. If I don’t pay, the same will be given to other willing candidate.”

She also claimed that the ‘bidding’ for poll ticket started at Rs 1 crore and that was further reduced to Rs 50 lakh. The former MLA also released an audio clip of the conversation, purportedly with recordings of the same demand.

Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi, while speaking to media, refuted Rathod’s charges as baseless and politically motivated.

He said that such complaints have been received by some other ticket aspirants also, where some unscrupulous touts allegedly made phone calls with an intention to create bad name for the party. He informed that the party is seeking thorough investigation into the matter.

Rathod was denied poll ticket, apparently on back of defeat from Dehgam seat. This time, party has replaced her with another nominee Vakhatsinh Chauhan.