Congress and JD(S) in Karnataka today voiced fears to the Election Commission that the ruling BJP might misuse official machinery in next month’s Lok Sabha polls and asked it to keep a strict vigil to check malpractices.
Representatives of JD(S) and Congress called on Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami here and refer-red to recent communal flare-up in parts of coastal region, ‘moral policing’ and alleged attempts by the ruling party to include large number of bogus voters in electoral rolls in Bellary.
JD(S), apparently referring to the BJP, demanded action against a ‘political party’ for extending moral support to Hindu Samajotsava,organised by Hindu outfits, and said it should be given a stern warning. Congress leader M P Prakash alleged that in some constituencies like Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district, names of minority community voters have been deleted. “Bellary should be considered a sensitive constituency and all steps taken to ensure fair poll process”, Prakash and JD(S) spokesman Y S V Datta told Gopalaswami.
Datta wanted the CEC to order transfer of the Bellary District Deputy Commissioner, accusing him of colluding with some ruling party members including owners of a mining company, indirectly targetting ministers — G Karaunakara Reddy, G Janardhana Reddy and B Sriramulu.