NEW DELHI: A complaint had been filed with the Election Commission alleging that Jairam Mahto, the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) chief and MLA, accepted foreign (Saudi) funding for the recently held Assembly elections. Following the complaint, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Jharkhand wrote to the Bokaro District Commissioner, directing an investigation into the allegations.
The 30-year-old Jairam Mahto, referred as ‘Tiger Jairam’ by his supporters, emerged as a key gamechanger in the recently held Assembly polls, with his party playing a significant role in Kudmi Mahto community-dominated seats and denting the electoral prospects of the BJP and its allies.
The complaint, emailed to the CEO by one Rahul Banerjee from West Bengal, claims that Mahto, an MLA from Dumri in Bokaro district, received funds from Saudi Arabia. Banerjee also urged election officials to investigate the matter, cancel Mahto’s party registration, and bar him and other party leaders from participating in elections.
“It has come to light that JLKM is allegedly receiving funds from foreign sources, specifically from Saudi Arabia, during the election period, which is a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Such actions not only undermine the integrity of the electoral process but also pose a serious threat to the sovereignty of our democratic system,” the complaint says.
“If this finds true then JLKM parties’ registration should be cancelled immediately and Jairam Mahto & his party must be debarred from the electoral process & also votes of first phase on 13th November should not be cast,” it further added.
The complainant also shared screenshots of Mahto’s tweets regarding his fund collections to support his claims. Following this, the CEO of Jharkhand wrote to the Bokaro District Commissioner, directing him to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, a top leader of the party admitted that all contestants of the JLKM had opened a channel for donations using QR codes.
Political parties, candidates, and election-related entities are prohibited from accepting foreign contributions under various laws. Mahto was recently in the news for allegedly threatening an assistant, stating he would beat him for accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000.