Cong approaches EC, seeks disqualification of BJP’s B Sriramulu

The Congress on Friday approached the Election Commission demanding that BJP candidate B Sriramulu be disqualified from contesting the Karnataka Assembly elections over a 2010 sting video allegedly showing him trying to a bribe a former chief justice of India's relative. Ahead of polling in Karnataka, the party also sought a ban on airing of content by two television channels allegedly defaming the Congress

A delegation of senior Congress leaders, including Kapil Sibal, Mukul Wasnik, Moti Lal Vohra,  RPN Singh, PL Puniya and Randeep Surjewala, met Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat and presented a memorandum, which also demanded that the chief electoral officer in Karnataka be directed to lift the ban on the airing of the 'sting' video by local television channels.

"We have requested the Election Commission to disqualify B. Sriramulu from contesting the election," senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said after meeting the poll panel. The party in a three-page memorandum also asked an FIR be filed against those who were seen in the video. Sriramulu, a confidant of the tainted mining baron and his brothers, is contesting against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from Badami constituency, and from Molakalmuru as well.

On Thursday, the Congress released two videos, dating back to 2010, allegedly showing BJP leaders B. Sriramulu and G. Janardhana Reddy in a negotiation to bribe the son in law of a former Supreme Court Judge to get a favourable verdict in a mining scam case.  The video also appeared on local channels in Karnataka. Later, state electoral authorities directed channels not to air the videos. The BJP has termed them as fake videos.

 The Congress complaint alleged that the sting video purportedly shows "Sriramulu and three others (identified as G Janardhana Reddy, Captain Reddy and Swamiji) seen sitting with son-in-law of a former Chief Justice of India."

 "The discussions between them, as seen in the video and reported by the media, relate to the payment of money to the son-in-law to secure a favourable judgment of the Supreme Court for the Reddy brothers. Upon viewing the video, there can be no doubt as to the agenda of the meeting taking place," the complaint alleged.