EC defers voting in Rajarajeshwari Nagar till May 28

BENGALURU: The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) traded charges of malpractice on Friday after the Election Commission deferred polling in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency, where more than 9,000 voter ID cards were seized from an apartment, till May 28.

Terming it a “slap across the face of senior Congress leaders and chief minister Siddaramaiah”, state BJP spokesperson S Prakash said, “Will the Congress apologise now that EC has taken this decision? It stands exposed today thanks to the prompt action of the Election Commission.”

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi, however, said it was an unfortunate development.

“We had exposed that the flat was owned by a BJP worker, who had leased it out to her nephew. Besides, the raid was first conducted by the BJP. I hope the EC reconsiders its decision...”

The polling for the constituency has been shifted to May 28, with counting on May 31.

In its order, the EC has said: “The conduct of free and fair poll in Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency will not be possible if the ongoing electoral process is allowed to proceed and poll is taken on 12th May, 2018 as scheduled”.

“Commission further considers it imperative to defer the poll... so that the vitiating effect of the distribution of money and gift items to the electors of the constituency loses its intensity,” the order stated. Further, the EC ordered that the seized ID cards be returned to the voters.