Cong petitions EC over recovery of voter ID cards in K'taka

The Congress today petitioned the Election Commission (EC), demanding action against the BJP over the recovery of thousands of voter identity cards in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency in Karnataka, and accused the ruling party at the Centre of enacting the "midnight drama".

A Congress delegation, led by senior party leader Anand Sharma, met the EC officials and alleged that the BJP was indulging in malpractices.

Sharma alleged a concerted attempt by the ruling party at the Centre, with the assistance of central agencies, including the Income Tax department, to subvert the process of free-and-fair polls, target Congress candidates and carry out midnight raids.

"A delegation of the Congress party has just met the EC officials. We have submitted a detailed memorandum about the malpractices of the BJP and a concerted attempt by the ruling party, with the assistance of central agencies, including the Income Tax department, to subvert the process of free-and-fair elections, target Congress candidates, carry out midnight raids and enact conspiracies," he told reporters after the meeting with EC officials.

The senior Congress leader claimed that the BJP was facing an "imminent defeat" in Karnataka and alleged that the saffron party had been using huge amounts of cash to influence the voters of the southern state.

"In that constituency (Raja Rajeshwari Nagar), this drama was enacted and it was not the EC or the police, but the BJP people who raided a flat which belongs to a BJP leader and the tenant is also a BJP leader," Sharma alleged.

The BJP, on the other hand, is demanding countermanding of polls in the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency after thousands of "fake" voter identity cards were recovered from a flat there.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar alleged that Congress candidate and sitting MLA Munirathna Naidu was behind the "racket", which was "exposed" by BJP worker Rakesh.