BENGALURU: Just a couple of days before the announcement of the Lok Sabha election results, BJP-JDS Bangalore Rural candidate Dr C N Manjunath wrote to the Election Commission of India expressing apprehension over “disruption” of the counting process in the constituency.
He appealed to the ECI to provide additional security to prevent violence and ensure deployment of paramilitary forces around the counting centre to maintain law and order.
Dr Manjunath, son-in-law of JDS supremo and former PM HD Deve Gowda, was pitted against Congress candidate DK Suresh, brother of KPCC president and DCM DK Shivakumar.
In his letter, Dr Manjunath stressed on taking stringent security measures to ensure a peaceful and transparent counting process. “There is credible information that if the Congress candidate is poised to lose the election, there could be significant violence and attempts to disrupt the counting process.
The potential for such disturbances is heightened by the involvement of Shivakumar, who might influence the use of government machinery to facilitate disruptive elements,” he said.
Dr Manjunath said, “Given the high stakes and the potential for misuse of government machinery, it is essential that the Election Commission takes proactive steps to ensure the safety and integrity of the vote counting process for Bangalore Rural constituency.”