Daunting task for EC to identify owners of EPICs in R.R. Nagar

The Election Commission, which has deferred the election in Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly constituency, now has a daunting task of identifying 9,000-odd voters in the areas whose EPICs have been seized from a flat, apart from conducting the polling on May 28 in a fair and free manner. The commission, which noted that it was impossible to identify and return these EPICs in less than 24 hours, deferred the election and asked officials here to return the cards within seven days so as to build confidence among voters.

In sharp observations made in its report, the Election Commission said that seizure of EPICs shows that it a clear attempt to induce voters in a systematic and planned manner, and thereby vitiate the process of election. Quoting several provisions under the Representation of the People Act of 1951 and Indian Penal Code, the commission said that illegal collection of EPICs was likely to significantly affect the conduct of free and fair election in R.R. Nagar. It also said that these provisions could result in the election of the returned candidate being declared void and he/she could be disqualified for six years.

While it has done field verification for 801 EPICs and established the genuineness of the cards, it will have to undertake the exercise for all the 9,564 cards that were seized. “Some families have given statement to the police that cards were given after receiving saris and water cans that bear the name and picture of a candidate. They were also promised pressure cookers. They were the same kind of cans that were seized (from an apartment) at Jalahalli,” Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar told presspersons here on Friday.

When asked if the same set of candidates now in the fray will remain or action would be taken against Congress candidate Muniratna, MLA, against whom two FIRs have been filed in these connections, Mr. Kumar said, “These legal things will come up in due course. We have to identify all the 9,000 people and given them back their voter ID card.”

With the election deferred owing to money power, which targeted vulnerable sections of society, the Election Commission will send a special team of observers to monitor the election expenditure while Mr. Kumar said a special confidence-building exercise among the voters will be undertaken.

5,018 T-shirts

No one has come forward to claim the ownership of 5,018 T-shirts that were seized from a truck at Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru on Wednesday. While a company has come forward to claim 23,393 half pants that were also seized, no one has come forward to claim the T-shirts that had the picture and the name of a candidate contesting from Rajarajeshwarinagar segment. The consignment was loaded from Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, to Tumakuru but was getting unloaded in Bengaluru. The police have filed an FIR naming Mr. Muniratna in this case.

Relief announced

The Election Commission has announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh each to three policemen who died in a road accident near Bagalkot on Thursday. Deputy Superintendent of Police S.P. Bale Gowda, Police Inspector H.K. Shivaswamy and driver Venugopal who were travelling to Bagalkot from Bengaluru for election duty were killed on the spot when their vehicle collided with a lorry on the outskirts of Bagalkot.