Karnataka voter ID scam: Do Congress leaders have access to BBMP site asks BJP
The entire Karnataka debate has shifted to the voter ID scam which rocked the state late on Tuesday night. The allegation is that close to 20,000 fake voter IDs were found in the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency. The BJP alleged that they were recovered from the Congress candidate, Muniratna.
This prompted the Election Commission to address an emergency presser. The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, Sanjeev Kumar said that more than 9,000 genuine voter IDs were recovered from a flat belonging to a woman. He said that he was unsure of how these voter IDs reached the flat in the constituency and added that the matter would be probed over the next 24 hours.
As the BJP has sought the countermanding of the elections in the constituency, the Congress has accused the party of enacting a drama. Congress leader, Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the the apartment belonged to a BJP leader, Manjula Nanjamari. He said that she had rented the apartment to her son who contested the 2015 BBMP polls on a BJP ticket. The apartment was not raided by the EC or police, but the BJP, he said.
Sanjeev
Kumar
however
during
the
press
conference
pointed
out
that
the
apartment
was
raided
by
the
police.
There
was
no
one
there,
but
the
police
managed
to
confiscate
the
voter
IDs
he
also
added.
The
BJP
has
been
demanding
action
and
have
been
tweeting
extensively
with
the
hashtag
congresscheeatsdemoracy.
S
Prakash,
spokesperson
of
the
BJP
says
that
the
Congress
party
candidates
have
been
given
access
to
the
BBMP
website
which
is
enabling
them
to
upload
names
using
fake
IDs.
The
Congress
is
indulging
in
large
scale
malpractice
to
win
the
Karnataka
elections,
he
also
said.
He
demanded
the
immediate
arrest
of
the
BBMP
officials
who
leaked
the
password.
The
EC
should
thoroughly
verify
the
website
to
track
down
the
culprits
and
delete
the
names
added
after
the
elections
were
declared,
Prakash
also
said.
Union Minister and BJP leader, Sadananda Gowda sought to counter Surjewala's charge. He said that the statement from the EC is very clear. The flat where the IDs were found was allegedly rented out to Rakesh. If the EC had proof they would not have used the word allegedly, he added.
"I present the statement from EC which never said Manjula Nanja Mari and Rakesh are mother and son. It is a Congress conspiracy to make them mother and son. I challenge the Congress to prove the statement. Now the Congresss fearing loss is making efforts to rig the elections," Gowda also said.
He also added that Rakesh is not the son of Manjula. She worked against Rakesh in the last BBMP elections, Gowda further clarified. In a tweet, Gowda said, "BJP demands countermanding of elections in AC 154 Raj Rajeshwari Nagar in light of latest revelations of tens of thousands of fake voter ID and empty packets of hard currency. This is Congress conspiracy to rig election , in face of their imminent defeat."
Karnataka Assembly Election dates | |||
Date of notification | April 17 | ||
Last date to file nominations | April 24 | ||
Last date to withdraw nominations | April 27 | ||
Date of polling | May 12 | ||
Date of counting | May 15 | ||