Karnataka: Rajya Sabha polls to go ahead as scheduled, says EC

Rajya Sabha elections to four seats in Karnataka on June 11 will go ahead as scheduled with the Election Commission on Thursday deciding against cancelling the polls, saying money power has not vitiated the process so much to warrant such a step even as it asked CBI to probe the matter in detail.

"... the Commission is not satisfied that the whole electoral process, now in progress, for the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha... is so vitiated by the...allegations that it should not be permitted to continue. Therefore, the Commission has decided not to defer the poll scheduled to be held on June 11, nor to make any recommendation to the President for rescinding the electoral process for the biennial election under reference," the seven-page EC order said.

But at the same time it agreed that it "cannot ignore to take cognisance of certain illegal activities" as appeared in media including the TV channels. It said JD(S) MLA Mallikarjun Khuba, being a public servant "may also be deemed to have committed an offence" under the Prevention of Corruption Act for seeking bribe for electing a member of the Rajya Sabha. He has shown purportedly seeking Rs 5 crore as bribe for garnering votes in favour of a particular candidate.

It ordered that an FIR be lodged against Khuba and others and the whole matter be entrusted to the CBI "for such deeper probe so that all those who may be involved in such nefarious activities are exposed and duly punished under the law."

It said it would ask the Ministry of Personnel to instruct the CBI to take up the matter for proper investigation.