After alleged altercation, Section 34 Group withdraws support for Avinash
The PNM’s Chaguanas West Candidate, Avinash Singh, has denied claims that he assaulted a member of the Section 34 Group on Monday.
The Section 34 Group has withdrawn its support for Mr. Singh and according to the Group’s General Secretary, Mr. Richard Bickram, Mr. Singh assaulted him shortly after he filed his nomination papers on Monday.
“Yesterday, he attacked me physically.”
Mr. Bickram said the conflict between the pair began with Mr. Singh’s insistence that the campaign office at Section 34 Headquarters in Freeport be shut down completely.
“There was a call for a total shutdown of here. He doesn’t need here anymore and that was never the agreement.”
Mr. Bickram said Mr. Singh removed computers, stationary and even kitchen supplies. He said the PNM candidate for Chaguanas West can expect no more support from the Section 34 Group of which Mr. Singh was once a part of.
But Mr. Singh said there was no altercation with Mr. Bickram.
He told C News: “Well I really don’t see anything about an altercation. I was just bringing my stuff over here and let’s leave it at that.”
Mr. Singh also denied the existence of an agreement with the Group.
“When you say an agreement, when I see it in black and white then I will say it’s an agreement.”
Mr. Bickram told C News that the Section 34 Group had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Mr. Singh’s campaign.
He produced two documents showing payroll and campaign expenses incurred in the month of June at over $85,000 and $95,000 respectively.
“We have been spending literally hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
When C News asked Mr. Singh to verify the claims, he declined and asked instead to see the invoices.
Avinash Singh, who is still completing his move into a well-appointed office on Caroni Savannah Road, said his campaign is not about big spending.
“My political campaign is not no major political high-paid campaign.”
Mr. Singh and the five other candidates contesting the bye election for Chaguanas West will go to the polls on July 29th.