BENGALURU: State JDS president and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately deploy Paramilitary troops in Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency to ensure free and fair elections. The constituency will go to polls on April 26. He alleged irregularities were committed by the Congress candidate in the constituency and urged the ECI to take cognisance of it.
Kumaraswamy urged ECI to immediately transfer the Ramanagara deputy commissioner, superintendent of police, and zilla panchayat CEO who he alleged were not taking action and claimed were cooperating with the alleged irregularities committed by Congress candidate DK Suresh, brother of DyCM DK Shivakumar.
“Is there an Election Commission in Karnataka? What is the Central Commission doing? Doesn’t the Commission know what is happening in Bengaluru Rural constituency after the announcement of elections?” he charged. Electoral malpractices in Bengaluru Rural are rampant, he said. “Cookers and cash are being distributed. In Maralawadi, JDS workers stopped two lorries loaded with cookers kept allegedly by the Congress candidate for distribution to voters. The media has also reported it,” Kumaraswamy added.
“It is more than 48 hours since the irregularities were reported in the media. Why has no action been taken yet?” Kumaraswamy questioned.
He said Shivakumar was trying to lure JDS MLAs. “You (DKS) are responsible for JDS alliance with BJP. When the JDS-Congress coalition government was formed, you had said that this government should last for five years,” he said.