Karnataka Congress writes to ECI; accuses NDA's Droupadi Murmu of violating election law

As voting for the Presidential elections concluded on July 18, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee filed a complaint with the Election Commission against NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu. 

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India, demanding action against Murmu for allegedly violating the country's election law. 

In its letter, the Congress alleged that a day before the election, all Karnataka BJP ministers and senior leaders joined together and stayed at a 5-star hotel, where they were provided with luxurious food items and beverages under the guise of a training session. 

The Congress claimed that all these arrangements were made on behalf of Draupadi Murmu to get votes in her favour in the presidential elections and demanded that all votes cast by the BJP MLAs in favour of Droupadi Murmu be considered invalid.

In the letter, Karnataka PCC president DK Shivakumar wrote, “In connection with Presidential elections, both candidates Droupadi Murmu and Yashwant Sinha visited Bengaluru and campaigned with the said voters for the furtherance of the prospectus of their election. In continuation of the same, at the instance and consent of the NDA candidate, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai, the BJP State President Naleenkumar Kateel, BJP senior leader  BS Yediyurappa, BJP Chief Whip in Karnataka Assembly Satish Reddy, the ministers and others senior leaders of BJP joined together and summoned all the MLAs of BJP to the Five Star Hotel i.e., Shangrila, Vasanthanagara, Bengaluru on 17th July.”

The letter further stated that all the leaders were provided with luxurious rooms and other facilities in the guise of a training session for MLAs on voting in the Presidential election. All the ministers, MLAs and other senior leaders of the BJP reached Vidhan Soudha from the hotel in an air-conditioned bus on 18 July, the letter mentioned, adding that all these incidents have been reported both in print and electronic media on the 17th and 18th of July.

'Nothing but bribery and undue influence on voters': Karnataka Congress

“All these acts of BJP leaders are nothing but bribery and undue influence on the voters/MLAs made on behalf of NDA candidate Droupadi Murma for the furtherance of the prospectus of the election,” part of the letter read.

The letter further stated that the BJP leadership has interfered with the free exercise of the electoral rights of the voters/MLAs by these acts. Huge sums have been paid by the Chief Minister and the BJP leadership for rooms and other facilities; which are in clear violation of the provisions of Section 171B, 171C, 171E and 171F of the Indian Penal Code, read with the provisions of Section 18(1)a of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election Act 1952, the letter claimed.

Karnataka Congress appealed to the Election Commission of India to take cognizance of the electoral offences committed by the NDA presidential candidate, Droupadi Murmu, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the MLAs of BJP, and other senior leaders. 

The Congress urged the Election Commission of India to file a criminal case against them, punishable under the provisions of Sections 171B, 171C, 171E and 171F of the Indian Penal Code and direct the Returning Officer of the election of the President of India to treat all these votes polled in favour NDA candidate Droupadi Murma at the Vidhana Soudha booth at Bengaluru in Karnataka as invalid, "in the interest of free and fair election and to uphold the meaningful democratic process in the elections in India."

(Image: Republic)