Shimla, Apr 11 (PTI) Uttarakhand BJP leader Hoshiyar Singh, who lost the Dehra assembly bypoll to Congress candidate and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur in July last year, wrote to the governor on Friday, alleging gross poll code violation during the election and demanding a CBI inquiry into it.

Singh also demanded that the result of the bypoll be declared null and void, and Thakur be disqualified from contesting elections for six years.

Singh alleged in his report that money was released to Mahila Mandals (Rs 50,000 each) in Dehra constituency by Kangra Co-Operative Bank during the bypoll when the model code of conduct was in force.

The former MLA said he filed two applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to seek details but did not receive a response. Later, Ashish Sharma, the BJP MLA from Hamirpur, also sought the information by raising a question in the state assembly but he was also not given a reply.

According to the complaint, Rs 4,500 each was disbursed to about 1,000 women by the District Welfare Office.

These payments amount to direct inducements and violate multiple electoral and criminal statutes, constitute corrupt practice under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act as it involves the provision of monetary benefits with the intent to unduly influence voters, the complaint stated.

Given the gravity of this violation, Singh said, a thorough and impartial investigation is warranted to uphold the integrity of elections and hold those responsible accountable under the law.

The conduct of the chief minister, Kangra Cooperative Bank CMD Kamlesh Kumari as well as the district welfare officer “constitute corrupt practices under election laws” and cannot be regarded as anything less than “an act of bribery aimed at unlawfully influencing the outcome of the Dehra legislative assembly by-election”, he said.

He further demanded that the bypoll result be declared null and void due to gross violation of electoral laws and Kamlesh Thakur be disqualified from contesting any election for six years. PTI BPL DIV DIV