Deve Gowda stages dharna against EC

The campaign for the Chamundeswari byelection took a new twist on Tuesday with former prime minister and Janata Dal (S) national president H D Deve Gowda resorting to a three-hour protest against the Election Commission (EC) observers at the Gandhi Square in Mysore.

On the other hand, Congress leaders, led by former chief minister Dharam Singh dubbed Gowda's protest as a "frustrated demonstration against an independent body," while Samajawadi Party president S Bangarappa defended the series of actions taken by the EC.

The former prime minister, who has been campaigning in the constituency for the last one week for his party candidate, began his protest dharna at 8.55 am and ended it after about three hours. A couple of party leaders joined him in the protest.

Gowda was protesting against the actions of EC observer Raymond J Peter, charging that he was acting as "an agent of the Congress party". He demanded the observer's replacement.

Joining his alliance party leader's protest, deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa, at a separate press conference, charged that the Election Commission was acting in a "biased manner, yielding to the pressure of Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and the Centre. The EC should give up its partisan attitude," he said.

He alleged the Congress was making baseless allegations against the coalition government. "Yielding to the pressures of Sonia Gandhi, the Centre is misusing its powers and deployed para-military forces in the constituency," he said.

On the other hand, Bangarappa charged the JD (S) of trying to rig the polling on December 4. Its workers were blocking campaign by other parties in Bogadi and other places. Therefore, transfer of a few police officers would not stop this. Instead, the EC should ensure free and fearless campaigning also, he said, adding that Samajawadi Party too had lodged complaints with the Election Commission about the malpractices.

Bangarappa and Dharam Singh, who held separate press conferences, predicted the fall of the JD(S)-BJP coalition government after the byelection. "The government will fall because of dissident groups within the JD(S) and the BJP. President's rule is certain to come," Singh said.

Bangarappa predicted that no coalition government had survived a full term and Kumaraswamy government too would meet the same fate. "At the most, it may survive for 20 months. Deve Gowda may himself seek a dissolution of the assembly in order to secure Muslim votes in the future elections," he said.

Following complaints, the EC has ordered deployment of seven companies of 600 para-military men in the constituency. It has issued a notice to Kumaraswamy for violating the code of conduct, transferred three police officers and directed IGP R P Sharma to stay away from election work.

Vehicles, including that of transport minister Cheluvarayaswamy, have been seized for being unauthorisedly used during campaigning.

These apart, Karnataka governor T N Chaturvedi has addressed a letter to the chief minister asking him to ensure free and fair elections.