BJP wants voting put off in Bengaluru's RR Nagar constituency

A day after 9,746 voter ID cards were seized from a flat in Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency in Karnataka, the BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of hatching a conspiracy to "derail" free and fare polls and demanded that voting be postponed in the assembly segment in Bengaluru Urban district.

"Five laptops, scanners and lamination machines and many voter ID cards were burnt before police reached the spot. Still they recovered around 1 lakh counterfoils of Form-6. This shows a deep conspiracy to derail free and fair election," Union HRD Minister and party's in-charge for Karnataka polls Prakash Javadekar told the media.

Raising a pointing finger at the Congress, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) never indulges in such activities, while the former has been doing such activities.

"This is biggest threat to democracy. This is subversion of election. This is what Congress does. If it's not getting real votes, it creates fake voters... It's the philosophy of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Rahul Gandhi. Voting must be immediately countermanded," he said.

The BJP leader claimed that the flat in Jalahalli area in the Rajarajeshwari constituency, where fake voter IDs were allegedly found, was "never rented" and belongs to Manjula Nanjundmuri, who has been assosiated with Congress's local MLA N. Munirathna.

"This flat was never let out. So, she (Manjula) should also be arrested. All the proofs of call records and others must be forensically examined by the police and cyber crime department," Javadekar said.

Calling Congress MLA Munirathna "the kingpin", Union Minister Sadanand Gowda also demanded postponement of voting in the constituency.

"After investigations, the truth will be out. This election should be postponed and only then democracy will survive," he said.

State's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjiv Kumar on late Tuesday night said 9,746 voter cards have been seized from a flat in the constituency.

"In a surprise visit to a flat in Jalahalli locality, nearly 9,746 voter ID cards were found. Five laptops and one printer was also found in the flat," Kumar said.

Over a lakh slips resembling acknowledgement slips used for adding names into the electoral rolls were also found.

The voting in 223 assembly constituencies of the state will be held on May 12 and votes counted on May 15.

Of the 225 seats in lower House, including one nominated, election in the Jayanagar seat in south Bangalore has been put off owing to the death of BJP candidate B.N. Vijaya Kumar on May 4.

--IANS

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