Election Commission says Annamalai did not have cash in his chopper during Udupi trip

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka issued a clarification regarding allegations that Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai’s helicopter headed to Udupi on Monday, April 19, was carrying cash. The CEO stated that the helicopter was checked at multiple points during Annamalai’s visit to Udupi till his return and there were no violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Tamil Nadu is also in charge of the party’s activities in the upcoming elections in Karnataka.

Apart from the helicopter, Annamalai’s luggage, the hotel room he stayed in and the car he travelled in during the engagements at Udupi were checked but once again, there was nothing found in violation of the MCC, the CEO said. The statement mentioned that even the car that Annamalai used to travel from the helipad to the Ocean Pearl Hotel in Udupi was checked by a team of officials. Annamalai had visited Udupi for an election campaign and then proceeded to Chikkamagalur after that.

This statement comes two days after Congress leader Vinay Kumar Sorake alleged that there were bags of cash in the helicopter that Annamalai was travelling in. The Congress leader also told the media that he had informed the election officials about the alleged cash. Annamalai responded to the allegations saying that he did travel in a helicopter because he had to attend five events in one day but he was not carrying any cash with him, according to reports.

On February 4, Annamalai was nominated as the co-in charge of BJP for the upcoming elections in Karnataka along with Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya.  Annamalai had served as an IPS officer in Karnataka’s Udupi till 2019 after which he resigned to join the BJP.