Amid reports of several Independent members of the legislative assembly being flown to Mumbai by ruling Congress to keep its flock intact for Rajya Sabha polls, the Returning Officer has asked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to clarify if he has promised increased development funds to legislators in return for their votes.
The missive to the chief minister came as the MLAs were reportedly shepherded to Mumbai last night and kept in a five-star hotel to apparently prevent them from being poached for the June 11 biennial polls to four RS seats from the state.
When asked about the issue, Siddaramaih said, “I don’t know, they may have gone for their personal work, how will I know?”
To a question if Congress MLA S T Somashekar was with them, he said, “Why can’t Somashekar go along with them? He might also have gone to Bombay. I don’t know anything; no one has spoken to me. Congress MLAs won’t go.”
Meanwhile, a report along with an ‘unedited copy’ of the ‘sting operation’ purportedly showing MLAs negotiating money deal in exchange for their votes has been submitted to the Election Commission of India.
Assembly Secretary and Returning Officer for the RS polls from Karnataka S Murthy said he has written to Siddaramaih seeking his clarification on the alleged money deal.
He said a similar letter has also been written to other two secretaries, including the finance secretary, seeking clarification on these activities.
The letter was shot off by Murthy after he received a written complaint from the Janata Dal-Secular.
Replying to a query, Murthy said, “So far the chief minister has not replied to my letter.”
"I would sincerely bring to the notice of the ECI, if somebody hands over the footage of the chief minister assuring Independent MLAs of allotting Rs 100 crore as constituency development fund,” he said.
Murthy said nothing has come to his notice on Congress ‘herding’ Independent MLAs and nobody has given a written complaint to him.
"If somebody does it, I will bring it to the notice of the higher-ups,” the returning officer said.
He said the JD-S in its complaint letter to the Election Commission had not mentioned the name of Energy Minister D K Shiva Kumar for ‘assuring’ constituency development fund to Independent MLAs in lieu of voting for the Congress.
"The JD-S had lodged a complaint with the EC and in that there is no mention of D K Shivakumar's name for corruption. The JD-S has not sent any visuals,” he said.
Murthy said he has submitted to the EC a report along with an unedited copy of the ‘sting operation’ that purportedly showed MLAs negotiating money deal in exchange for their votes.
He said one channel had handed over the CD to him and after transcribing its contents, he had sent it to the EC.
Asked about another CD having contents of another ‘sting operation’, Murthy said he had been informed by Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha that the other channel had directly submitted the CD to the election body in Delhi.
The footage of ‘sting operation’ by one channel showed a JD-S MLA purportedly talking about money in crores of rupees for supporting a candidate.
A parallel ‘sting’ operation by another channel showed Congress candidate K C Ramamurthy and Independent MLAs purportedly speaking about getting increased development funds for the constituency from the government in return for votes.
Meanwhile, JD-S MLA from Turvekere M T Krishnappa has written to the EC alleging that the 14 independent MLAs have been shifted to Mumbai by the Congress.
Demanding countermanding of election and a Central Bureau of Investigation enquiry, he said, “10 independent MLAs have signed the nomination paper of JD-S candidates.”
"Today 14 MLAs (Independent) have been shifted to Bombay by Congress party members i.e. (the) chief minister and his cabinet colleagues are involving in this connection by showing a favour in the form of crores of money to the members to improve their constituencies,” he said.
"They are trying to woo JD-S and Independent MLAs by offering up to Rs 100 crore to vote in favour of Congress candidates," he alleged.
To a query, Murthy said he has also taken into consideration the TV crew mentioning off-the-record conversation with the accused individuals before conducting a ‘sting operation’.
Asked what could be its implication, he said, “That you should be asking the EC. I am just a forwarding entity and do not have the power to take decisions. I cannot even express my views in the report.”
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