BENGALURU: From second rung leaders like
Congress mahila wing chief,
Laxmi R Hebbalkar, to veterans like Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy, politicians and prospective candidates appear to be overstepping the line.
Barely a fortnight after the model code of conduct came into force for the May 12 assembly polls, leaders are already feeling the heat with the Election Commission (EC) keeping a hawk’s eye on them.
“Poll officials have been overdoing things this time,” an angry Kumarswamy reportedly told the Karnataka chief electoral officer, Sanjiv Kumar, after officials prevented him from having lunch with about 40 of his party workers during campaigning in Ramanagara recently. “They certainly are not making sensible judgment before initiating action against us.”
A senior minister in the Siddaramaiah government wanted to stay at Karnataka Bhavan, New Delhi, but the resident commissioner refused. He tried to put pressure on chief secretary K Ratna Prabha but she too rejected his plea, citing poll code, sources said.
Already, controversies such as leaders distributing freebies, travelling in official cars, alcohol distribution, speeches hurting religious sentiment, illegal occupation of government property have attracted censure of the EC. In some cases leaders have regretted their decisions.
The EC is on its toes with over 1,500 flying squads keeping a strict vigil across the state against violation of poll code, like defacing public places with posters, use of money, distribution of illegal liquor, entry of muscle men, among others.
According to EC officials, if there is any breach of the model code of conduct, action is being taken and an FIR is filed. Every day, a nine-point report is made in all the districts at the DySP/ACP level, which is sent to the police headquarters from where a final report is sent to the chief electoral office.
DG&IGP Neelamani N Raju has issued a circular directing police officials to initiate strict action against poll code violators.
Members of the public too are feeling the heat as police are conducting thorough and frequent checks. Police are worried about the growing influence of cash in campaigning — to mobilize crowds for rallies to payouts to voters. If a candidate, his agent or party worker carries more than Rs 50,000 in cash without relevant documents, it would be seized.
“Even if we find Rs 500 or 2,000, we have every right to question and seize the cash if they fail to substantiate from where they got it,” Sanjiv said.
Banks have also been asked to report suspicious withdrawal of cash from accounts to the district election officer.
TIT-FOR-TAT COMPLAINTS
Political parties too are trying to extract their pound of flesh by filing complaints of poll code violation against opponents. The BJP recently filed a complaint with the EC against Siddaramaiah for allegedly paying Rs 2,000 each to two women, who welcomed him with an aarati at Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru. The Congress filed a complaint with the EC against BJP’s Amit Shah, following reports that Shah handed a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the family of murdered RSS worker Raju. Hassan DC Rohini Sindhuri had to lock the government office following a complaint from JD(S) that district in-charge minister A Manju was using it for campaign work.
