BackUncertainty over Rajya Sabha polls continues in Karnataka
While Congress, BJP want polls to continue, Janata Dal (Secular) seeks cancellation even as Election Commission awaits the state electoral officer's report
Premium
New Delhi: Uncertainty over Rajya Sabha election in Karnataka continued on Monday with the Election Commission (EC) yet to announce its verdict.
A sting video telecast by news channels showed some legislators allegedly willing to exchange their votes for cash.
“The polling is on 11 June and we still have some time on our hands. We need to see all aspects before coming on a decision," a senior EC official who did not want to be identified said.
Meanwhile, both—the incumbent Congress party and the main opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—wanted the Rajya Sabha election to continue as scheduled.
However, Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), a regional party led by former prime minister H.D. Devegowda, demanded that the election be cancelled.
The alleged sting videos shows members of legislative assembly (MLAs) of JD(S), Congress and independents being offered bribe for votes in the Rajya Sabha polls.
The Congress appealed the EC on Monday not to cancel the elections to the Rajya Sabha in the aftermath of the airing of sting videos showing some legislators willing to trade their votes for cash. In its appeal, the Congress claimed that the sting videos did not present “enough evidence" to support the charges of bribery.
The EC has already sought a report from the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka are going to the polls on 11 June. There are five contenders, including Union commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Oscar Fernandes. “There is no truth in the sting videos, it is a mere media creation. We are ready for the Rajya Sabha polls, and it should happen as per schedule," said B.S. Yeddyurappa, former chief minister of Karnataka and vice-president of BJP.
The videos—telecast by news channels Times Now and India Today—show legislators allegedly negotiating money in exchange for their votes.
The Rajya Sabha polls in Karnataka are politically crucial to the Congress and the BJP. Karnataka is among the few big states where the Congress continues to be in power, having lost out in several rounds of assembly elections in the last two years to the BJP. Similarly, for the BJP, Karnataka is the only southern state in which it wields political clout and is, in fact, considered the favourite in the polls due in 2018.
On Monday, a representation of senior Congress leaders, including the party’s general secretary in charge of the state, Digvijaya Singh, met officials of the EC and submitted a memorandum, requesting that the elections should not be countermanded.
“We have submitted our memorandum, in which we have requested the EC to allow the elections to go on (as per schedule). We have given the reference of Jharkhand, where cash was recovered from candidates. It will be wrong to consider the Jharkhand example for Karnataka. There is not enough evidence and so, the elections should not be countermanded," Singh told reporters after the meeting.
The Election Commission, in an order on 31 March 2012, had rescinded the then Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand after ₹ 2.5 crore was seized in cash from the vehicle of a relative of an independent candidate. The EC in its order then had said that the polls were “seriously vitiated and cannot be permitted to proceed" and eventually rescinded its notification for the elections.
Analysts say that even though this could be a fit case for using money power to influence the outcome of a poll, due diligence, including checking the authenticity of the video tapes, needs to be done before arriving at any conclusion.
“My final opinion on the issue will depend on what the CEO’s report says and the tapes also need to be tested. Prima facie, if the tapes are correct, then definitely it is a case where money is being used for conduct of elections," said K.J. Rao, a former adviser to the EC.
“This falls under the offence of bribery under the Indian Penal Code and so action can be taken by the EC and I am sure it will take it if it deems fit. It can either postpone or eventually cancel the polls by releasing notices for it," he added.
In a related development, the EC has asked the government to amend the Representation of People’s Act which will allow it to either postpone or countermand elections if evidence emerges of use of money to influence voters. In a letter to the legislative secretary in the law ministry dated Monday, the EC said a new clause ‘58 B’ be inserted in the Representation of the People’s Act to allow “adjournment of poll or countermanding of election on the ground of bribery" and has requested the government to take “early action" on its proposal, according to a news report by the Press Trust of India (PTI).
PTI contributed to the story.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
