Karnataka Elections 2023: Minister of State (MoS) Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje has urged the Election Commission to take action against Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar for allegedly seeking bribes while issuing B-Forms to the candidates of his own party ahead of filing nominations for the state assembly polls. Karandlaje in her letter to the EC alleged that Shivakumar has gone on record saying that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has violated the poll code by taking money from the candidates who wanted a ticket, reported news agency PTI.
The Union Minister, who is also Karnataka BJP's State Election Management Committee's convenor, in her letter to the State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena, said, “Shivakumar, who is also the authorised person to issue B-Forms for contesting elections, has gone on record and has openly stated that the KPCC has collected money from ticket aspirants of the Congress party."
The BJP leader sought apt action against Shivakumar as well as the candidates from his party.
The MoS Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in her letter stated, “This is nothing but bribery under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and also a grave violation of the election laws and the Model Code of Conduct," reported PTI.
The Congress leader responded by saying, "I never received a 40 per cent commission. Shobha Karandlaje, Madal Virupakshappa, Yatnal, Gulihatti Shekar, KS Eshwarappa, and many others made 40 per cent allegations (against me)...Shobha Karandlaje and many others are trying to destroy BS Yediyurappa. The entire state election is over '40 per cent corruption', other issues are also included."
He added, "BJP legal team and CM Office are trying everything to make sure Congress candidates nominations' are disqualified. I request ECI to collect the call register of CM. In Savadatti also, the same thing happened. The CM himself called officials."
News agency ANI quoted him as saying, "You know how they acted in my case even after I filed nominations many times. They tried to disqualify my application also. CM Office itself is participating in malpractice to tell Returning officials to accept their applicants' applications, CM himself is involved in it"
The last date for filing nominations was on April 20 and the submitted papers were scrutinised by electoral officials on Friday.
Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.