Karnataka polls: BJP says EC order on R R Nagar 'clear indictment' of Cong

With just one more day to go for the Karnataka Assembly election, the voter ID card row continues while the Congress corners BJP over an alleged bribery sting. Catch all Karnataka polls updates here

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress' high-voltage campaign for the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 has ended, and the voting is scheduled to start in less than a day. The campaigning in the run-up to the crucial polls saw everything from a cross-fire of barbs to a fake voter ID haul. On the last day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government for issues ranging from atrocities against Dalits to the country's foreign policy as he expressed confidence in winning the Karnataka polls "hands down". BJP President Amit Shah, meanwhile, accused the Congress of making desperate attempts to win the election in an "undemocratic" way, adding that such machinations would not work and that his party would win 130-plus seats. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Police said that the election authorities were satisfied with the law-and-order situation in the state ahead of the polls.   

The Congress' candidate from Bengaluru's Raja Rajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment has been booked in connection with the recovery of close to 10,000 voter ID cards from a flat there, along with over 100,000 counterfoils resembling acknowledgement slips used for addition of names into electoral rolls. Further, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday night deferred a decision on the recovery of voter ID cards from the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar flat, even as it sought fresh information from the state election machinery. 

Of course, the end of the official election campaign at 5 pm on Thursday did not mean that the allegations and accusations also stopped. Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over allegations that BJP leader B Sriramulu had bribed former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan. The accusation is based on a "sting" video showing the state BJP leader allegedly trying to bribe a kin of the former Chief Justice of India to get a favourable verdict for mining baron G Janardhana Reddy in an illegal mining case. State electoral authorities on Thursday directed TV news channels not to air the video.  

The election in 223 of the 224 constituencies in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be held on May 12, and the counting of votes and announcement of the result will take place on May 15. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B N Vijay Kumar, the Jayanagar BJP candidate.  

Here are the top 10 developments around the Karnataka Assembly election 2018:

1) PM Modi, BJP should apologise for deceiving people, says Congress: Commenting on the four years of BJP-led NDA governance, the Congress on Friday said that Narendra Modi and his government should apologise to the public for deceiving them.

Deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, said that in the build-up to the Karnataka State Assembly elections, the PM and the BJP were trying to mislead the people of the state by misusing government machinery while claiming that they were levelling false allegations and registering IT cases against Congress leaders in the state.

2) EC order deferring RR Nagar poll clear indictment of Congress, says BJP: The BJP on Friday said the Election Commission order deferring polls to the R R Nagar seat in Karnataka and registration of a case against the Congress candidate was a "clear indictment" of the ruling party in the state and proved that it was "using money power to influence the Karnataka polls".

On the eve of the polling, Union minister Piyush Goyal, in a scathing attack on the Congress, alleged that the ruling party had resorted to corrupt practices to rig the elections.

He also said the BJP had asked the EC to seek one more proof of address from first-time voters, besides the voter ID card, to ensure that they are genuine voters.

"A desperate Congress has given up all hope of winning the elections and is resorting to most corrupt electoral practices to rig the state polls," Goyal said, reported PTI.

3) No plans to retire from politics, hints Mallikarjun Kharge: Congress veteran M Mallikarjun Kharge has indicated he has no plans to retire from politics for now and that he would accept any role assigned by the party central leadership.

His comments ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections assume significance as the Congress has not named a chief ministerial candidate even though it has projected incumbent Siddaramaiah as the face of its campaign.

The party has been maintaining that the issue of chief ministership would be dealt with later.

"Let me see, everybody's fate is in the hands of people, and people are our masters and even I believe people are our God in democracy, the 75-year-old former union minister who hails from Kalaburagi, said when asked if he has any retirement plans, according to PTI.

He also indicated that he would contest the next year's Lok Sabha elections.

4) Polling in Rajrajeshwari Nagar postponed to May 28: The Election Commission today ordered postponement of elections to the Rajrajeshwari Nagar assembly seat in Karnataka saying there is "definite inference" to suggest that efforts were made to induce voters. Polling in the constituency will now be held on May 28 now and counting will be on May 31.

The decision comes days after nearly 10,000 voter identity cards were recovered from a flat in the constituency, leading to a slugfest between the BJP and the Congress.

5) IMD predicts rains across the state tomorrow: The India Meteorological Department on Friday predicted light to moderate rainfall in several parts of Karnataka tomorrow. Speaking to ANI, IMD's CS Patil said, "We are expecting light to moderate rainfall in Karnataka tomorrow. At isolated places, we are expecting heavy rainfall, accompanied with wind. Expecting rainfall in evening and night, it may be there in the day but with less frequency."

6) Shiv Sena says BJP rigging EVMs to win elections: The Shiv Sena on Friday accused its estranged ally BJP of rigging EVMs to win elections and claimed that people do not trust the current method of polling anymore. The recovery of "fake" voter ID cards in Bengaluru show how the electoral process in Karnataka has touched a new low, the Sena said.

"(PM Narendra) Modi talks about 'Congress-mukt Bharat'. But although the Congress is coming to an end, its thoughts are not dying. The BJP is trying to finish the Congress by imbibing the qualities of that party," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouth piece 'Saamana'.

"Ahead of the Karnataka elections, 10,000 fake voter ID cards were recovered from a flat in Bengaluru. The Congress has targeted the BJP on the issue. This voter ID scam shows that the Karnataka election has touched a new low," the party said.

"A large sum of money is being used in the elections. From where the BJP gets so much money is no more a secret as everyone knows the truth.

7) Disqualify BJP's Sriramulu from contesting polls, Congress tells EC: The Congress on Friday petitioned the EC, demanding that BJP's Sriramulu should be disqualified from contesting the Karnataka Assembly election over a sting video allegedly showing him trying to bribe former CJI Balakrishnan's relative on behalf of corruption-tainted mining baron G Janardhana Reddy. "We have requested the Election Commission to disqualify B Sriramulu from contesting the election," senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters after meeting the poll panel. 

Who is BJP's B Sriramulu and how is he connected to Reddy brothers? Sriramulu is a confidant of tainted mining baron and owner of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) Janardhana Reddy, according to news agencies. He is contesting from two constituencies -- Molakalmuru and Badami -- in the May 12 Karnataka Assembly polls. In Badami, he is pitted against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.   

8) Karnataka Police says EC satisfied with law and order situation: A day before voting for the Karnataka Assembly election 2018, the state police on Friday informed news agencies that the law-and-order situation in Karnataka was under control, adding that the EC was satisfied with the situation. The police said that 20 per cent of polling booths were sensitive.

Further, the police informed that 82,157 police and home guard personnel and 585 central force companies had been deployed for the polls. It added that no communal violence had been reported.

According to the police, Rs 1.66 billion (Rs 166 crore) in cash and other election-related material had been seized in Karnataka.

  

9) Rahul Gandhi says Modi, Yeddyurappa getting ready to 'loot Karnataka', cites 'sting' video: Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Modi, alleging that BJP's B Sriramulu had bribed former CJI Balakrishnan, seeking an order favouring a mining company owned by G Janardhan Reddy. Levelling the charge, the Congress party also demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter.   

"This is how Modi and Yeddy (B S Yeddyurappa) are getting 'Reddy' to loot Karnataka. Fortunately, the people of Karnataka will not let that happen," tweeted Gandhi as he attached a National Herald news report with a headline "Sting videos: Congress alleges BJP's B. Sriramulu involved in bribing then CJI in 2010".

The news report said: "Alleging that then Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishna gave a favourable order to a mining company owned by G Janardhan Reddy a day before the CJI retired in 2010, Karnataka Congress claimed on Thursday that Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) had been paid by Reddy for the order."

"Just one day before CJI Balakrishnan retired, he passed an order in a case related to Reddy brothers mining company," Karnataka Congress tweeted quoting state's working President Dinesh Gundu Rao. "Now, several videos have been released which show how bribe deals were done between CJI's son-in-law and Sriramulu/Reddy brothers," Karnataka Congress tweeted Rao's statement at a press conference. 

The party alleged that just one day before the then CJI retired, he passed an order in a case related to Reddy brothers' Oblapuram Mining Company. It said that the videos that surfaced showed how Sriramulu, middlemen, and the son-in-law of the former CJI discussed bribe deals, hoping to get a favourable judgment from the Supreme Court in the Obalipuram case.   

Read our detailed wrap on the last day of campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly election 2018: Karnataka election campaign ends; Shah says BJP will win at least 130 seats 

10) Janardhana Reddy's Obalapuram mining case explained: Janardhan Reddy-owned Obalapuram Mining Company (OMC) was involved in an illegal mining controversy, wherein they removed boundary pillars between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (AP). In November 2009, the Government of AP issued an order prohibiting OMC's illegal mining operations.   

In February 2010, a Division Bench of the High Court (HC) of Andhra Pradesh quashed the government order and allowed the mining operations conducted by the OMC. Anticipating that the government of AP would challenge the HC order in the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition (SLP), a communication was exchanged by OMC in order to dismiss the SLP, stating that the apex court should not interfere in state matters.

This was followed by a hearing in the Supreme Court in the month of March, where the government of AP filed its SLP. The apex court ordered a survey to determine the extent of the claims and in the meanwhile issued the maintenance of status-quo. The survey's interim report in April recommended that mining be stopped entirely in light of grave irregularities.

However, on May 10, the Supreme Court allowed OMC to continue its mining operations. Chief Justice Balakrishnan retired the next day, on May 11. 

Bengaluru Congress contestant booked in voter ID card case: Congress candidate N Munirathna Naidu from Bengaluru's Raja Rajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment has been booked in connection with the recovery of about 10,000 voter ID cards from a flat, along with over a 100,000 counterfoils of acknowledgement slips, police said on Thursday. "He (Naidu) was named as an accused in the FIR registered on Thursday on the basis of a complaint over the recovery of the voter ID cards from the apartment," Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Bijay Kumar Singh told news agencies.  

Naidu is also an outgoing legislator of the ruling party from the same constituency he is contesting in the May 12 Karnataka Assembly polls.  

The Congress candidate was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Representation of People Act, 1951, for bribery and undue influence in an election.

Singh told news agencies that the police had arrested two persons on Wednesday -- one for committing the electoral offence of keeping a large number of voter cards there and another for breaking into the apartment where the voter cards and counterfoils were kept without informing the EC authorities. 

With agency inputs