Mysore/Mysuru: The media interaction of the candidates of Legislative Council polls from South Teachers Constituency, organised by the Mysuru District Journalists Association (MDJA) at its premises on Thyagraja Road this morning, turned out to be a platform for the candidates, especially those of the Congress and NDA,  to trade charges against each other.

Interacting with the media, Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader and former MLA Vatal Nagaraj, who is also in the fray, claimed that candidates of the prominent parties had paid crores of rupees for getting tickets to contest the South Teachers Constituency polls.

Alleging that the candidates of the two prominent parties (Congress and BJP-JD(S) coalition NDA) were paying up to Rs. 5,000 for every voter of the Constituency, he said that such payments amounts to over Rs. 10 crore, with the Constituency having about 21,000 voters.

Charging that the candidates were engaged in distributing gift articles apart from money, he said that such acts of allurements have only contaminated the spirit and ambience of Teachers Constituency. But the teachers should shun from accepting money and gifts and exercise their franchise in accordance with their conscience, he argued.

Congress candidate and former MLC Marithibbegowda alleged that his rival candidate K. Vivekananda of the NDA, was engaged in distribution of money and gift articles to teachers. Highlighting his achievements as an MLC from South Teachers Constituency for four successive terms spanning 24 years, he lamented that the Constituency seems to have got contaminated with the distribution of money and Liquor by his NDA rival.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate A.R. Mahesh said that this election is all about money, liquor and gift articles as candidates of national parties were engaged in distributing them among the voters and spending lavishly for winning somehow.

Claiming that the two candidates were hosting parties at different places every day as the poll draws near, he maintained that such acts of candidates is a blot on democracy and belittle the teaching fraternity, who have been taken for granted by the candidates of the two national parties.

Independent candidate and former MLC K.C. Puttasiddashetty charged that the Congress candidate Marithibbegowda who had represented the Constituency for four successive terms, had done nothing for the welfare of teachers.

Contending that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was not interested in allocating much funds for the education sector, Shetty said that Post-Graduates and highly qualified teachers, who are fed up of not getting jobs, have been selling flowers and doing odd jobs to eke out a living.

He further said that the JD(S), which is an NDA partner, has given ticket to a realtor and businessman who knows nothing about the teachers welfare and their problems and issues bothering them.

JD(S) State Spokesman N.R. Ravichandregowda, who represented NDA candidate K. Vivekananda, refuted Marithibbegowda’s allegations.