The Hindu : Karnataka News : Pressure to perform Poll tales

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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Pressure to perform Poll tales

Candidates contesting the Assembly elections from Bangalore are under such pressure that one of them has been reportedly distributing pressure cookers to woo voters.

People residing in Padarayanapura, Anjanappa Garden, Bakshi Garden and others slums in the Chamarajpet constituency have been reportedly offered this useful kitchen utensil as a gift by a candidate of a major political party.

According to claims made by some voters, the resourceful candidate has been skirting the Election Commission’s code of conduct by supplying cookers to some shops in the area. Voters help themselves to one by producing a coupon given to them by the candidate’s supporters.

Coming home to you

To circumvent the Election Commission’s watchful eyes, candidates and political party supporters have resorted to making use of family functions to dole out their largesse.

One such instance was a housewarming ceremony of a village panchayat chairman in Yeshwanthpur Assembly constituency. Irrespective of whether the households in and around the village were known to him, the chairman distributed invitations printed on expensive cards to one and all. Along with the invitations were pamphlets seeking votes for the party candidate.

As the housewarming ceremony is on May 8, that is two days before the date of voting, many residents in the locality are all set to attend the function though they are strangers to the chairman.

While the women expect at least a sari and some cash, the men hope to get shirt and trouser pieces, along with, yes, cash.

K.V. SUBRAMANYA

ANIL KUMAR SASTRY

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