Kolkata, May 10: More than Rs 1 lakh has been seized from former IPS officer and BJP candidate for West Bengal‘s Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency Bharati Ghosh, police said on Friday.
“Bharati Ghosh was travelling in her car on Thursday night when we seized Rs 113,895 from her bag. The amount has been sent to the Treasury,” a police officer said.
Asked if there were more people with her, the officer said that there were other people but they were travelling in a different car.
Ghosh said she was not carrying the money illegally.
“It cannot be a crime when I am lawfully using my election fund after withdrawing it from the bank. How can they seize the money that belongs to me?”
Ghosh said she was shocked when only she was asked to sign in the seizure list whereas there were other party colleagues with her.
“Are they trying to say that I will not carry any money? Where is the Election Commission? I have been approaching them with various complaints but they are not taking any action,” the BJP candidate pointed out.
“I have completely lost faith in the agency.”
According to a Trinamool Congress leader, they had prior information that in different areas voters had been promised a sum of Rs 500-1,000.
“We knew that Ghosh would bring money, so we informed the police. We demand her immediate arrest,” Trinamool’s Sheikh Sabirati said.
“If the police have seized the money, there will be a case. The law will take its course,” BJP state President Dilip Ghosh said.
While the Chief Electoral Office of the state has sent a report to the Election Commission of India regarding the money seized from BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Ghatal.
West Bengal: Chief Electoral Office of the state has sent a report to the Election Commission of India regarding the money seized from BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Ghatal, Bharati Ghosh's car earlier today.
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2019
In the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency which votes on May 12, Ghosh is up against Trinamool’s celebrity candidate Deepak Adhikary alias Dev. While Left and Congress have named Tapan Kumar Ganguli and Khandakar Mohammad Saifullah respectively.
The seat is currently held by Deepak Adhikary alias Dev who had in 2014 national elections defeated Santosh Rana of CPI with a margin of over 2.50 lakh votes.
General Elections 2019 is being held across seven phases starting April 11 to May 19. Counting of the votes will be held on May 23. Voting of the remaining 118 constituencies will be held in two phases slated on May 12 and May 19.
Polling in West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha Seat is being spread on all seven phases. 17 Lok Sabha seats of the state will go to polls in remaining two phases slated for May 12 and May 19.
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