Cheluvarayaswamy accuses HDK of collecting ₹1,000 cr. from steel industries to fund elections; JD(S) terms it a strategy to divert attention from ‘excise scam’

Agriculture Minister accuses Union Minister of collecting funds for elections, sparking controversy and calls for investigation.

Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy on Sunday (November 10, 2024), accused Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy of collecting ₹1,000 crore from steel industries across the country to fund Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections besides the Channapatna byelection where his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, is contesting.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress government of collecting ₹700 crore from excise sources to fund the Maharashtra elections, it was the turn of Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy.

“The BJP and its allies have become desperate to win elections by any means and are distributing large sums of cash. I have received information from those working in steel companies about Mr. Kumaraswamy collecting over ₹1,000 crore. I urge the ED and I-T Department to investigate and initiate action against Mr. Kumaraswamy. The Election Commission should also take note,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Minister and JD(S) leader C.S. Puttaraju termed Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy’s allegation as an attempt to divert public attention from the alleged raising of funds by the Congress from excise sources. Speaking to reporters in Mandya, he said: “The Agriculture Minister should mind his language. In fact, Agriculture Department officers had written to the Governor raising the issue of extortion by the Minister. He thinks that he can emerge as a big leader if he speaks against (JD-S leaders) H.D. Deve Gowda or Mr. Kumaraswamy.”