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Assam governor Gulab Chand Kataria campaigning in Udaipur: Cong’s Gourav Vallabh
BJP candidate Tarachand Jain said Gourav Vallabh’s complaints reflected his nervousness as he could forsee his defeat.
UDAIPUR/JAIPUR: Congress candidate from Udaipur Gourav Vallabh on Wednesday accused Assam governor Gulab Chand Kataria of secretly campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during his visit to the city, a charge rebutted by the BJP.
“A governor has been making secret visits… what immoral acts has he been up to, asking the media not to show him,” Vallabh told reporters on Wednesday, following up on his complaint to Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Election Commission of India (ECI) about Kataria playing a role in the BJP campaign.
“I am not worried, let anyone come. But questions will be raised. If you (Kataria) want to come, then come but leave your post (governor),” he added.
In his complaint filed earlier, Vallabh asked the Election Commission to stop Kataria from attending BJP meetings of his close associate Tarachand Jain, who is contesting the assembly elections from Udaipur.
“It is vital to restrict the movement of Kataria through the election observer in order to ensure effective implementation of model code of conduct,” Gourav Vallabh said in the letter.
Kataria did not respond to calls to seek his comments.
Jain, the BJP candidate from Udaipur, said Vallabh’s complaints reflected his nervousness as he could forsee his defeat. “He is levelling false allegations. It is Kataria’s town and he can come here at any time. He is not organising any meetings in my favour,” said Jain.
To be sure, Gulab Chand Kataria, who was the leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly when he was appointed governor in February, is the BJP’s tallest leader in Rajasthan’s Mewar region and is widely credited with establishing and expanding the BJP’s base across Mewar region.
Kataria, an eight-time legislator, was first elected to the assembly in 1977. He won again in 1980 and has won every election from Udaipur city since 1993.
In Guwahati, news agency PTI said the Assam unit chief of Trinamool Congress Ripun Bora and the Aam Aadmi Party coordinator Bhaben Choudhury also sought action against Kataria.
“Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria is busy campaigning for the BJP in Udaipur, Rajasthan. This is a challenge to democracy, the Election Commission of India should take action against him,” Assam TMC president Ripun Bora said in a post on X on Wednesday.
Choudhury said a governor should uphold the Constitution irrespective of caste, creed and religion by keeping himself above politics.
