KOLKATA: Election expense data submitted by BJP to Election Commission regarding payments made during the pre-poll period from Jan to May has thrown up the names of several prominent personalities, including a set of social media influencers, some of whom have been embroiled in controversies.TOI on Friday tried to speak to all those whose names are mentioned in the datasheet, but the majority of them refused to take calls, throwing a question mark over the exact identities of many of these persons.
Election expenses
The last data that Trinamool filed regarding poll expenses dates back to 2024, and no public data is available for the last election.One of the names mentioned in BJP datasheet is Sayak Chakraborty, who was at the centre of the Olypub meat controversy earlier this year. Speaking to TOI, Chakraborty, however, admitted that the influencer mentioned in the datasheet is indeed him and also admitted that he received Rs 2.5 lakh for the content creation, but rejected allegations that the money had anything to do with the Olypub incident.“I received a payment of Rs 2.5 lakh between March and May for creating two videos — one countering false messages about ‘SIR’ and another questioning PM Modi’s silence on wartime issues,” he said.Chakraborty emphasised that he had absolutely no ties to any party before the pub incident occurred. “I took down the video as soon as the narrative took a negative turn. Action should be taken against those who weaponised the footage to incite communal tension,” he said.Addressing the scrutiny over the payment, Chakraborty argued that political campaigning for remuneration is commonplace.YouTuber Sukanta Kundu of the “letsbeconfused” channel highlighted his history of producing content critical of TMC administration. “I have created several vlogs criticising the previous govt. We must remember that actors frequently campaign for political parties and receive compensation. This is a longstanding practice across all parties,” he said.Addressing the financial allegations directly, he added, “Why are influencers facing scrutiny for earning money legally? I have not made any videos which were misleading to my audience!”Kundu, who said he had accepted the payments in his parents’ accounts, also categorically denied any link between his political compensation and the Olypub controversy. “I was with Sayak when the incident unfolded in front of us, and we actively protested against it. Olypub authorities had issued a statement admitting and apologising for its waiter’s ‘serious but unintentional error while serving’. Any accusation that we operated as a coordinated group, motivated by money to fabricate this controversy, is baseless,” he said. “The Olypub incident took place on Jan 30, whereas I was paid Rs 7.5 lakh between March 15 and May 6.”Another entry reportedly records a Rs 13 lakh payment apparently to content creator Shamik Adhikary, popularly known as Nonsane, who was arrested in a sexual assault case and whose political short film “Button” had circulated widely before the polls. No court of law has found Adhikary guilty yet, and the case is ongoing, officials said. Repeated calls to Adhikary yielded no response.Among the very prominent names on the list is that of Iti Karmakar. TOI tried to get in touch with her, but she did not respond to calls or messages.
