By: Ismail Shaikh
The Election Commission briefed the media at midnight and confirmed that they have recovered 9,746 Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) from an apartment in Bengaluru’s Jalahalli area, a part of Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency.
It was the BJP which complained to the ECI, Karnataka about the possible cash stashed and voters’ id been dumped in an apartment. Reacting to the complaint, the ECI briefed the press and ordered an inquiry into the discovery of voter ID cards from the apartment that BJP alleged, was linked to a Congress lawmaker. The saffron party also demanded that elections to the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency be countermanded.
Addressing a hurriedly-convened press conference around midnight, Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said two trunk-loads of counterfoil slips, which appeared to be the acknowledgement slips of the form used to add names of voters, were also found. But the forms were not the same colour as the ones used by the Election Commission, he said.
“In next 24 hours we will get to know more facts based on which a firm decision will be taken,” Kumar said.
As top BJP leaders started tweeting and giving media bytes just in sync with the ECI press conference, it was evident that BJP was attempting to have the elections in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency cancelled. Essentially the BJP was looking to tarnish the Congress image and deflect voters’ attention from alleged corruption charges against their candidates.
Then immediately came the Congress’ rebuttal, accusing the BJP of enacting this “drama” of raiding an apartment owned by a local BJP leader and planting “fake evidence”.
It was about 12:45 am when the first special press conference was addressed by Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala at the KPCC office.
The Congress came all guns blazing and exposed the BJP. “In RR Nagar constituency, in Apartment no 115, 9,746 voter IDs were recovered. EC has said that the apartment belongs to Manjula Nanjamari. She is a BJP leader & ex-BJP corporator. She has rented the flat to her son Rakesh, also a BJP leader,” Surjewala said.
He further added that “BJP enacted this drama in an apartment belonging to its own leader, Manjula Nanjamari. She has rented the apartment to her son who contested the 2015 BBMP Elections on a BJP ticket. The apartment was not raided by police or EC but by BJP workers. This is a BJP conspiracy & we have exposed it. A high-level inquiry should be ordered by EC against all those indulging in this conspiracy to get the election countermanded by planting fake evidence. Lodge an FIR against all these top BJP leaders.”
"This is the BJP MLA candidate Muniraj Gowda with BJP leader Rakesh, in whose flat the voter IDs were recovered.
Election Commission has clearly said that Manjula Nanjamari had rented the flat to her son Rakesh. BJP's lies stand exposed": @rssurjewala #BJPDramaExposed pic.twitter.com/5N2WRNHJX9
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) May 8, 2018
"This is the list of BJP candidates of BBMP Elections. On Sl. No 16 is the name Rakesh from Jalahalli ward. Is this not proof that Rakesh is in BJP?": @rssurjewala #BJPDramaExposed pic.twitter.com/IO1lLSxwIx
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) May 8, 2018
The party’s spokespersons addressed another presser at 2:00 am in the morning. Armed with more documentary evidence, Surjewala attacked the BJP and said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, had the audacity to lie by saying Manjula Nanjamari & her son Rakesh don’t belong to the BJP. “They are running a factory of lies. We have exposed their drama,” he added.
"Union Minister Prakash Javdekar had the audacity to lie by saying Manjula Nanjamari & her son Rakesh don't belong to the BJP. They are running a factory of lies. We have exposed their drama": @rssurjewala #BJPDramaExposed pic.twitter.com/C1OYdyn8f4
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) May 8, 2018
A list of BJP candidates of BBMP Elections had Rakesh’s name, who is the tenant of the flat, and he was the party candidate from Jalahalli ward. Along with this, his photos with top BJP leaders were also shown as a proof.
“Union Minister Prakash Javadekar must resign for his involvement in this conspiracy and trying to subvert democracy. The entire BJP Leadership stands totally exposed in front of the people of Karnataka,” Surjewala added.
#BJPDramaExposed stared trending late at night and continued to trend until early morning. Srivatsa, the Social Media in charge of the state Unit tweeted “Such an amateur conspiracy by BJP has backfired. They have again shown Karnataka that they are good for nothing. Expect Congress to win by 150 seats after this. #BJPDramaExposed”
It is clear that the Congress will not tolerate any lie against them anymore. They will counter it with apt arguments and back them up with facts. The grand old party is all set to expose the BJP every time it attempts to malign the image of the former.