Almost 10,000 voter IDs found in Bengaluru apartment
What's the story
Almost 10,000 voter id cards were found in an apartment in Jalahalli in Bengaluru on Tuesday, ahead of the upcoming Karnataka polls. Chief Election Officer (CEO) Sanjiv Kumar announced the discovery and said that an FIR had been lodged. An investigation is also underway. Meanwhile, BJP accused Congress of manipulation, and demanded that polls be countermanded. The Congress called it BJP drama.
IDs, counterfoils found
What was found in the apartment
9,746 voter IDs were found in the apartment, which belongs to Manjula Nanjamari and was rented out to one Rakesh. Upon preliminary verification, the IDs were found to be genuine. They belonged to people from slums. Two trunks full of around a lakh counterfoil slips resembling official forms were found. Their significance remains a mystery. Five laptops and a printer was also found.
Invesigations
Irregularities in the constituency is also being investigated
CEO Sanjiv Kumar said that ongoing investigations would be completed within 24 hours. He further said that irregularities in the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency were being investigated. The constituency has 4.71 lakh voters and new additions in the electoral rolls ahead of Assembly elections had been 44,837. The growth amounts to 10.3% and is significantly more than the state average of 6.04%.
BJP allegations
BJP slams Congress for allegedly running 'fake' voter ID factory
Reacting to the incident, the BJP demanded that the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency polls be countermanded. The BJP alleged that the "fake" voter ID cards were the "publicity material" of Congress MLA Muniratna. They also alleged that Muniratna might have been running a fake voter ID printing factory. Responding to demands of countermanding, CEO Sanjiv Kumar said that the Election Commission would be consulted.
Quote
Congress trying to 'rig' elections, says Prakash Javadekar
"Congress is losing public support and they are trying hard to rig the upcoming elections in Karnataka by undemocratic ways. So, we demand countermanding of polls in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency," said BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
Congress hits back
Congress claims whole thing staged by the BJP
The Congress hit back at the BJP, saying that apartment owner Manjula Nanjamuri was a BJP leader and ex-corporator. She had rented her flat to Rakesh, who contested corporation elections in 2015 on a BJP ticket. Congress leader Rajdeep Surjewala claimed a set up saying that the flat hadn't been raided by police or Election Commission officers, but by BJP workers.
Political slugfest
Political slugfest underway over the voter ID discovery
Responding to Congress claims, BJP leader Prakash Javadekar denied links to Manjula Nanjamari. Javadekar said that Nanjamari had left the party six years back and was a Congress member now. The Congress called Javadekar a liar and demanded a high-level Election Commission inquiry into the issue. Meanwhile, the JD(S) slammed both the BJP and the Congress for using "unethical" means.