Congress moves EC over Karnataka fake voter IDS

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday moved the Election Commission (EC) alleging BJP hand in a Bengaluru incident where counterfoils and voter IDS were recovered from a flat in Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency, and demanded stern action against those responsible.

The party also complained to the poll panel against alleged misuse of Income Tax authorities to intimidate and malign Congress candidates.

The memorandum submitted to the poll panel accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “a concerted conspiracy” and “fabricating and concocting and enacting fake midnight drama”, and said 9,746 voter cards were recovered from a flat “belonging to BJP associates”.

“The raid was stage-managed. The flat belonged to a BJP leader. Those who conducted raids were BJP people, not EC or police. Two Union Ministers also reached there late in the night. This proves that the party is rattled over imminent defeat.

“We expect the Commission to take action immediately. FIR should be lodged and it should order the arrest of BJP leaders,” Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters.

He alleged that the BJP had been using huge amounts of cash and resources in its bid to influence the voters.

The Election Commission in the wee hours of Wednesday filed an FIR after 9,746 voter ID cards were found in a flat in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency, along with around one lakh counterfoils resembling acknowledgement slips used for addition of names into electoral rolls. The Congress said the “drama” had been enacted to “impede free and fair election” as party candidate Munirathna was in a comfortable position to win the seat in the May 12 polls. “The flat was raided by a group of private persons, including BJP candidate and workers.

Some campaign material of the Congress candidate that was planted there was also found,” it said.

The party said that the flat belonged to Manjula Nanjamuri, who had rented it to her “adopted son” Rakesh. Accusing the BJP of making false allegations, the Congress said that Nanjamuri “is a former BJP Corporator and a BJP leader from Jalahalli (a locality in RR Nagar constituency)”. The party claimed that Rakesh was a BJP worker and was close to party candidate Tulsi Mundraj Gowda as also to other state leaders.

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