Bharatiya Janata Party leader P.C. George who made an election funds misuse allegation has made a U-turn. He had said that a large portion of the election funds had been misappropriated, but withdrew the charge later.

A video of Mr. George’s speech at a BJP meeting in July, 2026 has now surfaced, in which he claimed that funds allocated for the BJP’s election campaign in the Poonjar Assembly constituency had been misappropriated. According to Mr. George, he was given an expenditure statement showing that ₹4.45 crore had been spent on the election campaign. However, when he contacted several people whose names figured on the list, they told him they had not received any money.

Accusing BJP Central Region general secretary Saji Kurikkad of leading the alleged financial irregularities, the senior leader also pointed out that while party rules permitted a maximum expenditure of ₹40 lakh in a constituency, as much as ₹4.5 crore had been spent in each of the ‘A-Class’ constituencies.

“Even the ₹31,000 earmarked for booth committees was not given. There are such filthy people in the party. Many are buying cars. If you buy a car with BJP money, it will end up in accidents. God will not spare those who steal. I am cursing them,” Mr. George says in the video.

The remarks have once again put the BJP State leadership on the backfoot, with the party already battling a flurry of allegations of election funds irregularities. After the party expressed displeasure over his remarks, Mr. George changed his version, saying he had no knowledge of the actual election funds received in Poonjar. He instead accused two local BJP leaders of misleading him into believing that ₹4.5 crore had been received for the constituency.

Speaking to the media on Sunday (August 16, 2026), Mr. George said the party leadership showed him the accounts after his speech and that he was now convinced there had been no financial irregularities. “After my speech, the party leadership showed me the accounts. Even an expenditure of ₹100 has been recorded. I am convinced that nobody stole any money,” he said.

He also vouched for the integrity of Mr. Kurikkad, whom he had earlier accused of leading the alleged irregularities. “Saji is a respectable person. He is not someone who would pocket even 5 paise. What I said in Erumely was not correct, and I apologise for it,” Mr. George said.

This is not the first time that Mr. George’s remarks have triggered a stir within the party. Earlier in April 2026, Mr. George and his son, BJP State vice-president Shone George, had launched a scathing attack on a section of the Catholic clergy as well as Church mouthpiece Deepika over its alleged stance against the BJP.

Published - August 16, 2026 07:35 pm IST