Bengaluru: BJP and Congress have been firing repeated salvos at each other since close to 10,000 voter IDs were recovered from a flat here on Tuesday. Both parties have alleged that the other is conspiring and while Congress has highlighted the owner of the flat's past association with BJP, the BJP has rubbished the charges.
The Election Commission early on Wednesday filed a First Information Report (FIR) after almost 10,000 IDs were recovered from a flat. "An FIR is being registered after nearly 9,746 voter cards were found in a flat in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency," Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar told reporters.
The main bone of contention between the two major parties fighting the upcoming elections is that the owner of the flat - Manjula Nanjamari - was a BJP corporator in the 90s. "She was BJP corporator between 1997 and 2002 and continues to be a prominent leader of BJP. In the last 24 hours, she has been disowned by Karnataka BJP in-charge Prakash Javadekar," accused Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
It was a charge vehemently denied by the BJP. "She (Nanjamari)was a BJP corporator (but) for past 15 years, she has no link with BJP. We demand investigation & immediate countermanding of election in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told news agency ANI.
Karnataka polls are scheduled to be held in a single phase on May 12 and the counting of votes will be done on May 15.
The 224-member Assembly expires on May 28 in the state where the Congress is currently in power, with 122 seats against the BJP's 43. Karnataka is one of the eight states where polls were scheduled this year.
While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Congress is eyeing a second term in the state, BJP wants to spread its wings to its 22nd state.
