BJP accuses Congress of diverting Rs 187 crore meant for tribal welfare to fund Andhra Pradesh, Telangana poll campaigns

The BJP accused Congress of diverting Rs 187 crore meant for Karnataka’s tribal welfare to fund election campaigns in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Citing ED findings, BJP posed 13 questions to Rahul Gandhi, sparking a political storm ahead of upcoming elections

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s political climate heated up on Friday after the BJP launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing his party of diverting Rs 187 crore from a state welfare fund to finance election campaigns in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Just hours before Rahul Gandhi led a Congress protest at Freedom Park over alleged voter fraud in Mahadevapura and Rajajinagar during the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP responded with a list of 13 questions posted on social media. Among them was the allegation that funds from the state-run Maharshi Valmiki Corporation, meant for tribal welfare, were misused.

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According to the BJP, the funds, allocated for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka, were illegally diverted to support the Congress’s election campaigns in the neighbouring states. The party cited findings by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to back its claim and pointed out that apart from the resignation of Minister B. Nagendra, the Congress government had not initiated any serious action.

“Will you apologise to the Scheduled Tribes for diverting their welfare funds into party coffers?” the BJP asked Rahul Gandhi, calling the alleged diversion both a financial crime and a betrayal of marginalised communities.

The BJP also accused the Congress of running a broader “market of corruption” in Karnataka, referring to irregularities in land allocation, labour kit distribution, housing schemes, and liquor licence renewals. However, the alleged misuse of tribal welfare funds took centre stage in the BJP’s offensive.

Framing the issue as a cross-state scandal, BJP leaders claimed that Karnataka’s taxpayer and welfare funds were being used to finance the Congress’s political expansion in southern India—at the cost of the state’s tribal population.

Political observers note that the ED’s findings, coupled with the sensitive issue of tribal welfare, give the BJP a strong narrative against the Congress, particularly ahead of upcoming elections.

With Rahul Gandhi continuing his campaign against alleged electoral fraud and the BJP stepping up its attack on fund misuse, the Rs 187-crore controversy is likely to remain the focal point of the intensifying political battle.