KOZHIKODE: Janathipathya Rashtriya Party (JRP) state treasurer Praseetha Azheekode has alleged that BJP had paid Rs 10 lakh to party state president CK Janu to woo her back to the NDA camp. The telephonic conversation allegedly between Praseetha and BJP state president K Surendran in this regard came into public domain on Wednesday.
In the conversation, Praseetha is heard asking Surendran for `10 lakh and Sultan Bathery seat for Janu’s return, which Surendran readily agrees. Praseetha also alleged that besides `10 lakh, BJP had handed over lakhs of rupees to Janu for JRP’s election campaign in Sultan Bathery which was swindled by the latter.
Meanwhile, there have been discussions in political circles that a part of the hawala money that was robbed at Kodakara in Thrissur while being transported might have been meant for such payments during the election campaign.
“As per our telephonic conversation, `10 lakh was handed over to Janu on March 6 in Thiruvananthapuram on the sidelines of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s election campaigning there,” Praseetha told TNIE. Janu had earlier demanded `10 crore, five seats and a central ministership for her return, said Praseetha. The JRP suspended Janu from the state president’s post as well as the primary membership last week following the alleged election fund misappropriation.
Praseetha and JRP state secretary Prakashan Morazha said both Janu and BJP had betrayed their party. “Janu had contested under the lotus symbol in Sultan Bathery. She had declared earlier that she would prefer death over holding the lotus. Janu decided to contest under the lotus symbol in the eleventh hour of filing nomination and without discussing it in the party,” Praseetha alleged.
In the telephone conversation, Praseetha is heard seeking funds from Surendran for poll campaigning. “Yes, I had asked for funds from Surendran to meet the party’s election expenditure. We had no money in hand. But BJP directly handed over the election fund to Janu which she did not use for the election purpose. The party didn’t get it,” she said. Praseetha said the election fund BJP gave to Janu was more than `10 lakh. In the conversation, Praseetha tells Surendran that Janu required `10 lakh to repay her personal debts she had incurred when she was with CPM.
Janu denies charges
But Janu dismissed Praseetha’s allegations and the telephonic conversation. “No money-related discussion was held with BJP. I have had personal debts and loans from the beginning itself. I don’t know anything about the telephonic conversation,” she said. Meanwhile, neither Surendran nor BJP responded to the issue on Wednesday.