Erattupetta: P C George, who contested as the NDA candidate in Poonjar, is at the centre of a fresh controversy after an old video surfaced in which he questioned the whereabouts of ₹4.5 crore allegedly spent by the BJP during his election campaign.

In the video, recorded at a BJP meeting in Erumeli a few months ago, George questions how the party’s election funds were distributed and whether the money reached those for whom it was intended. He also maintains that he did not touch even a rupee of the funds.

“The party has spent ₹4.5 crore in this election. How many of you know about it? I don’t know how many of you received a share of it. You should think about that yourselves,” George said.

He then pointed to a directive to distribute ₹31,000 at each booth and questioned where the money went. “I did not touch even a rupee. There was a strict instruction to give ₹31,000 at each booth. So where did that money go?” he asked.

As the video triggered a controversy, one that was quite embarrassing for the BJP, George sought to put the matter to rest, saying his remarks stemmed from a misunderstanding and that he had apologised to those concerned. He alleged that some news channels facing controversies were using him to deflect attention from allegations against them.

George also pointed out that the expenditure limit for an Assembly candidate was ₹40 lakh and said he had spent less than that during the election. Ruling out any possibility of leaving the BJP, he attributed his defeat to a decision by the Christian community to back the UDF.