Congress lodges complaints against 2 BJP leaders

Bangalore, May 20 (UNI) The Congress has lodged complaints with the Election Commission (EC) against BJP Chief Ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde for their statements wooing voters either on linguistic or religious basis ahead of the Assembly polls.

A copy of the complaint, which was circulated to the media here today, claimed that Mr Yeddyurappa, along with Mr Munde, had said the BJP would provide special status and facilities to Marathas if it came to power in the State.

Any appeal on the basis of language or community, aimed at promoting enmity between different classes of citizens on the basis of language and community, is an inducement to Marathas, a corrupt practice and an electoral offence, it said.

The Congress had also preferred another complaint against Mr Yeddyurappa for making an open offer of ''enticement'' by stating that he would take oath as the Chief Minister along with a Muslim and a Dalit as Ministers.

''It is clear that it is a calculated statement by Mr Yeddyurappa to woo Dalit and Muslim voters by inducing them with gratification, which is a corrupt practice and an electoral offence,'' it said.

The Congress sought the help of the EC to conduct free and fair elections in the State.

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