Election Commission of India is facing a sensitive decision in Karnataka over conduct of
polls in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly Constituency of Bangalore City. Assembly
polls are due throughout Karnataka coming Saturday.
Both the ruling BJP in the country and the ruling party in Karnataka are accusing each
other of foul play over finding of 9,746 original Voter ID cards from an apartment in
Jalahalli area of Bangalore. BJP Union Ministers Ananth Kumar and Prakash Javadekar
have demanded countermanding of election in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency.
Ananth Kumar has charged that the Voter ID cards found were part of a “fake card
generating factory” set up by sitting Congress MLA Muniratna. Certain business cards
of Muniratna were also reportedly found in the apartment where the voter ID cards were
discovered.
According to a press release issued by Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka Sanjiv
Kumar the apartment was owned by a person named Manjula Nanjamari and rented to
a person named Rakesh. “We do not know if Rajesh is related to (MLA) Muniratna”, the
CEO maintained.
According to police, the apartment is owned by former BJP corporator Manjula
Nanjamari. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala has pointed out that
Rajesh was the adopted son of Nanjamari. Surjewala countered that Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, BJP National President Amid Shah and Karnataka Unit BJP President
BS Yeddyyurappa should answer how the voter ID cards were found in an apartment
owned by a BJP leader.
The Chief Electoral Officer said the commission officials were alerted by representatives
of BJP and Janata Dal (S) about the voter ID cards in the flat. These leaders were also
present at the flat when it was inspected by the CEO in the presence of Bangalore City
Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar and the Election Returning Officer Maheshwar
Rao, also Commissioner of the Bruhat Bengalureu Mahanagara Palike.
The main contestants in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency are Muniratna of
Congress, Muniraju Gowda of BJP and GH Ramachandra of JD (S).
Meanwhile, Election Commission has deputed Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra
Bhushan Kumar to Bangalore to take stock of the situation in Rajarajeshwari Nagar
assembly constituency. A delegation of the BJP led by Union Minister Smriti Irani on
Wednesday called on Election Commission officials in Delhi demanding
countermanding of the election in the constituency.

A separate delegation of Congress Party also called on the EC officials in Delhi and
submitted a memorandum accusing BJP of trying to influence elections in Karnataka. It
also charged that central agencies were being used to malign Congress candidates
contest the elections in Karnataka.
Campaigning in Karnataka is scheduled to come to a close in Karnataka on Thursday at
5 PM.