Ministers, Cong legislators bribing voters in Hebbal: DVS

Bengaluru, Feb 13: Union Law Minister D?V?Sadananda Gowda on Friday claimed that a few ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet and some Congress legislators were distributing money to influence voters in the Hebbal Assembly constituency.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, he said the Congress was indulging in electoral malpractices and illegalities after the deadline for campaigning closed on Thursday.

The bypoll for the Hebbal seat is scheduled for Saturday.

Gowda said he had information that Ministers Roshan Baig, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Legislators Byrathi Basavaraj, Muniratna, R?V?Devaraj and Bengaluru Mayor Manjunatha Reddy had been allotted specific pockets and wards in the constituency. He said Energy Minister D?K?Shivakumar was leading the entire operation.

The Union?minister said he had lodged a complaint with the Election?Commission, while also urging it to take steps to ensure free and fair polls. Outsiders should not be allowed into the constituency, he said. The police too should act impartially. Party volunteers will also be monitoring the polls. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure there are no illegalities and law and order is protected, he said. He claimed that money had been stashed at the residence of a manager of a private bank in V Nagenahalli. However, it was taken away in a car, fearing raids, Gowda said.

DKS?refutes charges

Energy Minister Shivakumar has, however, termed Sadananda Gowda’s charges baseless. “The BJP leaders have sensed defeat in the bypoll to the Hebbal Assembly constituency. Hence, they are making such baseless allegations on the eve of polling. The ruling party has not misused its power during the campaign. All the ministers left the constituency on Thursday itself,” he claimed.

The BJP has accepted defeat the day the party decided to field Narayanaswamy, he said. “The party failed to find a local leader to contest the bypoll. How can an outsider effectively represent the constituency? People are aware of this and they will take the right decision at the time of voting,” he added.