Re-electing Congress and Baghel in Chhattisgarh a guarantee of loot: Nadda

Pendra (Chhattisgarh): BJP president JP Nadda on Sunday alleged Congress and corruption go hand in hand and said re-electing the ruling party in Chhattisgarh meant the 'guarantee of loot'.

Addressing a public meeting in Pendra town in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi (GPM) district two days ahead of the polling for the assembly elections, Nadda said the Congress indulges in corruption wherever it is in power. Targeting the Bhupesh Baghel government, he said, “They committed scams in liquor, rice, cow dung, teachers' transfer and Public Service Commission recruitments. They did not even spare the name of Mahadev and committed a scam of Rs 5,000 crore (the alleged betting app scam). Asim Das informed that Rs 508 crore was given to Bhupesh Baghel for elections'.

Nadda's remarks came two days after the Enforcement Directorate, probing the Mahadev betting app 'scam', claimed that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a 'cash courier' had led to 'startling allegations' that the betting app promoters paid about Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel so far. The agency also said, 'These are subject matter of investigation'.

Baghel has denied the allegations.

The courier, Asim Das, has been arrested by the ED after it recovered Rs 5.39 crore from him in the poll-bound state, the federal agency had said.

“Corruption and Congress are two sides of the same coin. Where there is Congress, there is corruption, deception and loot while where there is BJP, there is development and growth,” the BJP chief said while campaigning for party candidates Prabal Pratap Singh Judev (Kota seat) and Pranav Marpachchi (Marwahi segment).

He said development is the 'confirmed guarantee of PM Modi, 'but sending Baghel and Congress back to power meant the confirmed guarantee of loot”.

Polling for 90 seats will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17.