EC sends special observer to state

The Election Commission (EC) is sending a special observer to Karnataka to probe the seizure of voter identity cards days before the May 12 state assembly polls. A report is expected by Wednesday night or early Thursday, an official aware of the development said.

On Tuesday night, nearly 10,000 voter ID cards were seized from an apartment in Bengaluru’s Jalahalli area, prompting both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to approach the poll watchdog. The chief election officer of Karnataka has confirmed the seizure, but the commission is awaiting a formal report on it .

“The EC received an email from the BJP and a delegation of Congress leaders also submitted a memorandum on Wednesday about the incident, so a special observer has been dispatched to conduct a probe and submit a report,” the official cited above said on condition of anonymity.

Both parties are trading charges over the seizure. BJP president Amit Shah accused the Congress of trying to win the election by using bogus voter cards and money.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the BJP had demanded the immediate cancellation of the assembly election from the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency in Bengaluru, a thorough investigation by cyber security experts, and immediate arrest of the flat owners from where the cards were seized.

The Congress said the raid was stage managed by the BJP. Congress leader Anand Sharma, who went to the EC on Wednesday to submit a memorandum, alleged that the BJP was using huge amounts of cash and other resources to influence voters and manipulate the election. He said it was not the EC or police.

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