Election Commission announces new date for polling in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar
A day after a sitting Congress MLA from Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar was named in an FIR following the receovery of nearly 10,000 voter ID cards, the Election Commission on Friday deferred the polling in the constituency which was scheduled for tomorrow along with 224 other seats in Karnataka.
9,746 Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) were seized from a flat on the night of May 8. Both the BJP and the Congress accused each other of wrongdoings. While the the BJP alleged that Congress was behind the racket, the ruling party in the state rejected the charge as a "lie".
Both the partied had met the Elections Commission with complaints against each other.
The poll panel today announced that the polling in the constituency will be held on May 28 and the counting will be done on May 31.
Yesterday, police registered an FIR naming sitting Congress MLA Munirathna as one of the accused.
Briefing reporters, the chief electoral officer of Karnataka Sanjeev Kumar said all the reports on the case had been submitted to the Election Commission of India. Similarly, the deputy commissioner had visited the spot, gathered information and sent a report to headquarters.
The CEOsaid about 800 EPICs found in the apartment were verified andthey were found to be 100 per cent genuine and original.
"Some of them are as old as 2012, which cannot be manufactured overnight."
Kumar also clarified that the integrity of the electoral list was not compromised.
"That can becompletely ruled out because more than 800 have beenthoroughly verified. There is no problem with the electoral roll," he said.
The CEO said the FIR was registered under various IPC sections and the Representation of People Act-1951.
Explaining the modus operandi, Kumar said a systematicsurvey was carried out in the RR Nagar constituency of eachhousehold with photographs of voters and their houses. Details like their names, cases and even requirements like widow pension card, old age pension card and ration card was done, he said.
(With PTI inputs)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Polling officials collect EVMs and other election material on the eve of Karnataka Assembly elections")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}