The absence of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Goshamahal constituency and firebrand MLA T Raja Singh at the public meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad raised many eyebrows.
Singh stayed away from the public meeting, despite the fact that the stadium falls under Goshamahal assembly constituency and he should have taken the responsibility to mobilise the party workers and crowds to the Modi rally.
But Raja Singh did not make any such attempts. He did not make any arrangements for the rally, let alone attending the meeting. In fact, when the BJP state leadership was introducing all the MLA candidates of the city to the Prime Minister, Singh was absent.
There was a talk that the Prime Minister himself asked Singh not to attend the meeting, as the latter’s presence might lead to further criticism and draw protests.
However, Raja Singh gave the clarification soon after the meeting of Modi at LB Stadium. He said had he attended the public meeting, the entire expenditure incurred on the same would have fallen into his election expenditure and that would cross his average expenditure limit.
“If not the entire expenditure, a part of it would fall into my account, as the L B Stadium falls under my constituency. I cannot afford to spend so much money. That is why I did not attend the rally,” he said.
As per the expenditure limit fixed by the Election Commission, a candidate should not spend more than Rs 40 lakh towards the election expenses.
“Even if half of it is attributed to my account, it will be a huge burden on me,” he said, adding that he was very much pained for not attending the meeting.
“Kindly understand my compulsions and I hope you will appreciate my decision,” Raja Singh told the party workers.