Karnataka bypolls: Congress, JD(S) accuse BSY of violating poll code

The two parties have filed separate complaints to the Election Commission (EC) over remarks by Yediyurappa during campaigning. The BJP has fielded 13 Congress and JD(S) rebels who were among 17 defectors from the two parties.

Opposition Congress and JD(S) in Karnataka have accused Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa of violating the model code of conduct for the December 5 bypolls to 15 Assembly seats by seeking votes for BJP using caste identities and offering development funds and Cabinet posts to the candidates as inducement.

The two parties have filed separate complaints to the Election Commission (EC) over remarks by Yediyurappa during campaigning. The BJP has fielded 13 Congress and JD(S) rebels who were among 17 defectors from the two parties.

Former chief minister and Congress leader in Assembly Siddaramaiah said in Rannebennur region on Wednesday: “Wherever he is campaigning Yediyurappa says he will make the BJP candidate (of that seat) a minister if he wins the bypolls. This is violation of the (election) code of conduct. He is also promising all sorts of development work in these constituencies, which is also violation of model code.”

Bypolls to 15 seats in Karnataka: All you need to know

He also accused the BJP of spending “crores in each constituency”. “This was the agreement between Yediyurappa and the rebels — they were promised election expenditure and positions as ministers,” he claimed.

Referring to Yediyurappa’s speech in Gokak on November 23, asking members of his Lingayat community to vote only for BJP’s Ramesh Jharkiholi, Siddaramaiah accused Yediyurappa of invoking caste identities to seek votes, which, he pointed out, is an offence under the Representation of the People Act.

In a complaint filed on November 25, the JD(S) also alleged that while campaigning in Belagavi region on November 23 — three seats are going to the bypolls — Yediyurappa said at a rally in Gokak that people from Veerashaiva and Lingayat sections of Lingayat community must not cast a single vote to any one other than BJP candidates. The party has asked the EC to act against Yediyurappa for violating the model code by seeking votes on the basis of caste. The BJP, which has 105 MLAs and backing of one Independent, has to win at least six seats to reach the simple majority mark of 111 in the truncated 22-member House.

Source: Read Full Article