Tejasvi Surya, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) representing Bengaluru South, found himself under scrutiny by the election commission on Friday (Apr 26) for allegedly seeking votes based on religious grounds. The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka revealed in a social media update that Surya had shared a video where he was accused of “soliciting votes on the basis of religion.” This incident occurred in the context of a heated electoral battle in Bengaluru South, where Surya is facing off against Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy.
Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka tweets “Case is booked against Tejasvi Surya MP and Candidate of Bengaluru South PC on 25.04.24 at Jayanagar PS u/s 123(3) for posting a video in ‘X’ handle and soliciting votes on the ground of religion.” pic.twitter.com/i5mEmzXr84
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
In a post made around 2 pm, Surya referenced issues such as the Ram Mandir, border security, and Article 370 to rally his supporters and encourage them to participate in large numbers at the polls.
Moreover, Surya employed an analogy, suggesting that while BJP supporters make up 80 percent of the electorate, only 20 percent actually turn out to vote. On the contrary, he claimed that Congress supporters, who constitute 20 percent, exhibit a higher voter turnout of 80 percent. This appeal aimed to mobilize BJP supporters by emphasizing the significance of each vote and the potential impact of their participation in the electoral process.
Previously, Surya launched a vehement attack on the Congress party, predicting its limited success in the national elections. He asserted that various surveys indicated Congress might not secure more than 30 seats nationwide. Furthermore, he dismissed the efficacy of personal attacks and baseless allegations against the Prime Minister, suggesting that such tactics only bolstered the popularity of the BJP.
