Citizens’ forum asks EC to countermand Karnataka elections over violations of model code of conduct

The Karnataka-based group approached the ECI as they found grave violations of model code of conduct (MCC) which had allegedly vitiated the entire "electioneering process in the state".

Bengaluru, May 9: Days before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the countermanding of elections in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency after the seizure of fake voter ID cards on Tuesday, a citizens' forum had sent a petition to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to cancel the entire 15th Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled on Saturday (May 12).

The Karnataka-based group--Praja Jagruthi Samithi--approached the ECI as they found grave violations of model code of conduct (MCC) which had allegedly vitiated the entire "electioneering process in the state". The ECI is yet to send a reply to the group which is mainly working for reforms in the election process. Among others, noted freedom fighter HS Doreswamy is also one of the signatories to the petition.

Along with demanding the cancellation of elections for the 224-member Assembly, the petition asked the ECI to remove actor Puneeth Rajkumar as one of their brand ambassadors for "breaking rules" and his "partial behaviour" towards a particular party, and lack of clarity about candidates among voters belonging to the armed forces posted in remote areas.

The petition mainly highlighted four points---

a) Seizure of around Rs 160 crore cash and other goods, and five lakh litre of liquor by officials during the last few weeks in Karnataka, indicating the amount of money and freebies given by political parties to voters.

b) In spite of actor Puneeth Rajkumar being the EC's brand ambassador, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently in Bengaluru which is widely seen as an endorsement of the BJP by an "icon" hired by the poll body.

c) Deterioration of the nature of advertisements published by political parties in major newspapers. The forum highlighted the "suicide bhagya" advertisement of BJP which is seen as making mockery of human tragedies like suicide.

d) Voters belonging to the armed forces posted in remote areas have little knowledge about all the candidates. Still they exercise their franchise and the forum stresses that such voting without clarity holds no meaning.

"We have sent the petition and demanded the cancellation of the elections. We want free, fair and peaceful elections," Santhosh Min B, convener of Praja Jagruthi Samithi, told OneIndia.

You can read the whole petition below: