Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP's Tejasvi Surya Booked For ‘Soliciting Votes On Ground Of Religion’

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: A case is booked against BJP's Bengaluru South candidate Tejasvi Surya after the Lok Sabha MP posted on X a video of 'Surya Tilak' at Ayodhya Ram Mandir seeking votes for his party.

File photo of BJP's Bengaluru South candidate Tejasvi Surya

Source : PTI

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka on Friday informed that a case is booked against BJP's Bengaluru South candidate Tejasvi Surya "for posting a video in 'X' handle and soliciting votes on the ground of religion." According to a statement by the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, the case against Tejasvi Surya was registered under Section 123(3) of the law at the Jayanagar Police Station. The statement read, "Case is booked against Tejasvi Surya MP and Candidate of Bengaluru South PC on 25.04.24 at Jayanagar PS u/s 123(3) for posting a video in X handle and soliciting votes on the ground of religion."

Case is booked against Tejasvi Surya MP and Candidate of Bengaluru South PC on 25.04.24 at Jayanagar PS u/s 123(3) for posting a video in X handle and soliciting votes on the ground of religion.

— Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka (@ceo_karnataka) April 26, 2024

The action comes after Tejasvi Surya uploaded a video on a social media platform showcasing 'Surya Tilak' being performed at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir while urging voters to support his party. He captioned the post saying, "Our generation was blessed to witness the majestic Surya Tilak on Bhagwan Shri Ram at Ayodhya on Ram Navami. A wait for almost 500 years & a wish of crores of Bharatiyas was fulfilled by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji. For Bharatiyata to survive, vote for BJP!"

Our generation was blessed to witness the majestic Surya Tilak on Bhagwan Shri Ram at Ayodhya on Ram Navami.

A wait for almost 500 years & a wish of crores of Bharatiyas was fulfilled by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji.

For Bharatiyata to survive, vote for BJP!#DakshinakkeSurya pic.twitter.com/4B0ti6pT1B

— Tejasvi Surya (ಮೋದಿಯ ಪರಿವಾರ) (@Tejasvi_Surya) April 25, 2024

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Tejasvi Surya Vs Sowmya Reddy in Bengaluru South

Tejasvi Surya, who presently serves as a Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South, is a prominent figure in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections' second phase. He faces a formidable challenge from Sowmyam Reddy of the Congress in the constituency.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Tejasvi Surya remarked, "We the BJP voters are 80 per cent but only 20 per cent come out and vote. Congress’ voters are 20 per cent but they come out and vote 80 per cent. This is the ground reality at the polling booths in most cases. Every single vote of yours matters. Please come out and vote because if you are not voting, Congress’ 20 per cent is definitely voting."

VIDEO | “We the BJP voters are 80 per cent but only 20 per cent come out and vote. Congress’ voters are 20 per cent but they come out and vote 80 per cent. This is the ground reality at the polling booths in most cases. Every single vote of yours matters. Please come out and vote… pic.twitter.com/hZahcqhBmb

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 26, 2024

Historically, the BJP has maintained a stronghold in the Bengaluru South constituency, losing it only once since 1977 when R Gundu Rao of the Congress secured victory in the 1989 elections. 

The Bengaluru South constituency is among the 88 seats across 13 states that are casting their votes in the second phase of the national polls today. Notable constituencies in this phase include Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad seat and Thiruvananthapuram, where Shashi Tharoor of the Congress is the incumbent MP. 

Meanwhile, voting in Madhya Pradesh's Betul seat, initially scheduled for Friday, has been postponed to the third phase following the demise of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Ashok Balawi.