Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Kharge accuses BJP, JD(S) of violating poll code

GULBARGA: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said on Friday that the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) competed with each other in exhibiting their money and muscle power in the elections to urban local bodies.

KPCC president M. Mallikarjun Kharge told presspersons here that the Janata Dal (S) and the BJP, which were fast losing ground in State politics, had taken the urban local body elections as a prestigious issue. Besides distributing saris and other gifts and cash to woo voters in favour of their candidates, the leaders of these two parties encouraged bogus voting and prevented Congress supporters from entering polling booths, particularly in Holenarsipur in Hassan district, and other places.

He said that he had never witnessed such a large-scale violation of poll code in the State. The BJP and the Janata Dal (S) tried to criminalise politics by giving party ticket to those facing criminal cases.

He said the coalition Government in the State had announced several schemes, including recruitment of teachers and funds to sugar factories, just a day before polling to urban local bodies in the State. This was in violation of poll code, he alleged.

Mr. Kharge said that he had received reports of poll related violence in Gulbarga, Shahapur and Yadgir, Srinivaspur, Chintamani, Holenarsipur and other places where the BJP and the JD(S) prevented Congress supporters from exercising their franchise.

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