PTI | | Posted by Pathi Venkata Thadhagath
Dinner units, strain cookers, digital clocks and different presents to induce voters — it appears to be like like a season of freebies months forward of Meeting elections in Karnataka. Some politicians had been discovered to sponsor pilgrimage of their voters — probably the most most well-liked locations being Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, Manjunatha Swami temple in Dharmasthala in Karnataka and Shirdi in Maharashtra.
A video of digital clocks bearing the {photograph} of a outstanding politician in Bagalkote district went viral lately. In a Bengaluru constituency, dinner units had been distributed to voters, a resident instructed PTI. “I acquired a name within the afternoon to come back and gather the dinner set. Initially I believed it was a prank however once I went there to verify, they had been actually distributing the dinner set,” a lady requesting anonymity mentioned. In one other phase within the metropolis, a former minister allegedly paid the life insurance coverage premium of a bit of voters. Truckloads of strain cookers and kitchen utensils had been additionally seized lately. Reacting to those incidents, the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena mentioned the Mannequin Code of Conduct comes into power from the day the election dates are introduced however there are methods to curb such practices even earlier than the ballot course of kicks in.
“The Mannequin Code of Conduct comes into impact from the date of elections. Until then (we deliberated) what we are able to do within the gentle of the latest media experiences which allege that the political events and the elected representatives are doing completely different actions to garner votes,” Meena instructed PTI. He mentioned he had referred to as a gathering of all of the enforcement companies from each state and central authorities and directed them to take motion towards them as per the present guidelines and rules. “We requested them why do not you employ these legal guidelines and see that motion could be taken towards these individuals. The Business tax division can raid the godowns and discover out whether or not there may be any violation of the GST Act is there or not,” he added.
Based on him, the business tax division had raided two warehouses in Chikkamagaluru and Tumakuru and located that these items weren’t authorised. Accordingly, the house owners of warehouses had been fined. “There are numerous methods wherein these departments can implement their very own legal guidelines and in a method assist us management these actions,” he added. Meeting elections in BJP-governed Karnataka are due by Could.