Even as the demand to scrap the election in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar Assembly seat in Karnataka grew stronger from BJP’s side after nearly 10,000 fake voter ID cards were found in an apartment, the election commission has confirmed that the election will take place as scheduled.
According to media reports, the poll panel believes the BJP’s demand is “far-fetched” and not possible.
“Voters can vote even without voter IDs by showing other proof. So just because of 9,000 cards were found in that flat doesn’t warrant countermanding of polls in Rajarajeshwari Nagar,” NDTV quoted a source as saying.
An FIR in the matter has been registered and the commission has also directed the police and Karnataka’s top election officer to investigate the apartment.
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Meanwhile, Union minister Prakash Javadekar alleged that Congress candidate and sitting MLA Munirathna Naidu was behind the alleged racket.
Javadekar said thousands of fake cards with hologram, lamination machines, and computers were seized by police late Tuesday night.
“This is the philosophy of the Congress….if voters do not vote for you, create fake voters,” he told a press conference.
Javadekar demanded a thorough probe by cyber security agencies into the incident.
Calling the incident a “subversion of democracy”, he alleged the Congress was making attempts to show voters from outside the state as its natives.
He demanded immediate arrest of Manjula, the owner of the flat, for her alleged involvement in the racket.
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Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, however, dubbed the incident as “stage managed”.
He claimed Manjula was associated with the BJP and her son Rakesh had contested the municipal corporation election on a BJP ticket.