Bangarappa seeks Karnataka CM's disqualification

Former Karnataka Chief Minister S Bangarappa has filed a petition before the Election Commission of India praying to disqualify Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa from his membership of the state assembly, alleging that the latter has furnished "false" affidavit concerning his assets and liabilities.

Bangarappa, now in the Janata Dal-Secular, demanded action against Yeddyurappa in his petition submitted yesterday for offences punishable under section 177 (furnishing false information) read with section 420 (Cheating) of the IPC for violating EC directions.

Bangarappa also sent his petition to the Chief Electoral officer of Karnataka and the Returning Officer of Shikaripura Assembly constituency, where he lost to Yeddyurappa in the 2008 Assembly elections. Bangarappa has demanded that he be declared the winner of the constituency after Yeddyurappa is disqualified. Bangarappa finished third in the election.

In the affidavit furnished during the elections while contesting from the Shikaripura seat, Yeddyurappa had suppressed details of his assets, Bangarappa said at a press conference in Bengaluru.

The details of assets Yeddyurappa filed before the Lokayukta during 2007 and those in the affidavit before the Returning Officer of of Shikaripura constituency contained discrepancies, he alleged. Yeddyurappa has not disclosed before the Returning Officer LIC policy for a sum assured Rs 1.70 lakh and rental advance amounting to Rs 33 lakh obtained from Adarsh Group, one of the property developers named in the land scam the chief minister is embroiled in, Bangarappa said.

He added there was also a discrepancy in the disclosure of the quantity of silver articles owned by Yeddyurappa. The BJP Chief Minister had declared ownership of 29 kgs of silver when the returns were filed before Lokayukta in December 2007, while it had been shown as 25 kgs in the affidavit submitted to the Returning Officer.

In the Lok Sabha elections held in 2009, Bangarappa was defeated by Yeddyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra from the Shimoga constituency.