Chalavadi Narayanaswamy Demands EC Probe Over Pradeep Eshwar’s Alleged Crore-Rupee Payouts

By Political Bureau, Bangalore Mail

Chalavadi Narayanaswamy Demands EC Probe Over Pradeep Eshwar’s Alleged Crore-Rupee Payouts

BENGALURU: A major political storm has erupted in Karnataka following public admissions by Chikkaballapur Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar regarding large-scale financial payouts to local leaders. Seizing on the controversy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have demanded immediate intervention and a high-level probe by the Election Commission of India.

The Controversy: Eshwar’s Admission of Crore-Rupee Expenditures

The political friction began after Pradeep Eshwar publicly expressed frustration over internal factionalism within the Chikkaballapur Congress unit. Addressing media and party cadres amid calls from rival party factions seeking to deny him a ticket for the 2028 elections, Eshwar revealed that he had spent crores of rupees on nearly 30 local political influencers and leaders to secure party support and coordinate election activities.

Eshwar cited several specific instances of high expenditure, including funding personal expenses, granting sums up to ₹10 lakh to individual local representatives, and sponsoring flight tickets to Shirdi for key local operatives during the election period.

“I am exhausted from meeting endless financial demands. I have distributed crores among nearly 30 local leaders for party work and election management, only to face internal betrayals,” Eshwar indicated in his statement.

Chalavadi Narayanaswamy Seizes on ‘Cash-for-Votes’ Admission

Following the statement, BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy mounted a fierce attack on the ruling Congress government, terming Eshwar’s comments an explicit admission of electoral malpractice and cash-for-votes tactics.

Key Demands Raised by Narayanaswamy:

 Election Commission Inquiry: Narayanaswamy urged the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies to register an official case regarding unreported and illegal election expenditures.

 Scrutiny of Wealth & Funding Sources: The opposition leader questioned the origin of the funds, demanding an investigation into whether public funds or corrupt practices financed the payouts.

 Targeting Internal Corruption: Pointing out the deep rift in Chikkaballapur’s Congress leadership, Narayanaswamy accused Congress of nurturing an ecosystem built on monetary influence rather than public service.