BC Liberal MLA Elenore Sturko says climate activist Anjali Appadurai is the victim of “a bullying campaign” spearheaded by fellow BC New Democrat leadership hopeful David Eby..A former federal NDP candidate, Appadurai threw her hat into the ring for BC NDP leadership in August and has since been caught up in a wave of controversy leading to an investigation into her campaign's activities by both the party as well as Elections BC..It began earlier this month when Appadurai hosted an Instagram live stream, during which one of her supporters — Atiya Jaffar — said she’d pony up the $10 NDP membership fee for anyone who can’t afford it..“It is really nothing if you think about how much this is going to matter. It is a handful of people who will get to decide this race and who the next premier is. Message me if you need the ten dollars because I am happy to provide that to you,” said Jaffar..The payment would violate the BC Election Act, as individuals are not allowed to pay for someone else’s membership..Appadurai said her supporter was unfamiliar with the laws. Nonetheless, Eby and BC Premier John Horgan have both said the allegations are “serious” and deserving of thorough investigation..The BC Liberal's Sturko, presenting herself as an unexpected ally, has since come to Appadurai’s defence, accusing Eby of “backroom politicking” and “bullying.”.“It has been obvious for weeks now that David Eby and the party elite have already decided to force her out of the race,” said Sturko..“David Eby himself said he was frustrated by being challenged — clearly, his entire campaign relied on backroom deals to prevent any real competition.”.Sturko took shots at the BC NDP’s 57-seat caucus, accusing them of sitting idle in the face of wrongdoing..“I know the importance of allyship and speaking up when you see something wrong,” she said..Responding to Sturko's comments, some have highlighted that her party blocked Aaron Gunn from his ability to run for BC Liberal leader last year..As for the BC NDP leadership race, the cut-off date for signing up new members was September 4, however the party has not released any details about how many people the candidate’s respective campaigns have signed up..Circulating rumours suggest Appadurai’s campaign brought in far more than expected, and environmental group Dogwood BC is currently being investigated by Elections BC for improper contributions to Appadurai’s campaign as well as allegedly sending emails and texts encouraging its Green Party members to switch parties..Whether Appadurai's campaign has unequivocally violated election rules has yet to be determined..Appadurai was the federal NDP candidate for the riding of Vancouver-Granville in 2021's federal election, losing to Liberal Taleeb Noormohomed by less than 500 votes, and the 32-year-old activist is also the director of campaigns for the Climate Emergency Unit, a Canadian organization whose overarching goal is to “press for the implementation of wartime-scale policies in Canada to confront the climate crisis.”The new leader will be elected December 3, with voting set to begin on November 13, however Appadurai must still go through a vetting process that will determine whether she can even run.
