The Janata Dal (Secular) on Friday complained to the Election Commission to cancel the Legislative Assembly membership of Magadi Congress legislator H.C. Balakrishna for “threatening the public” that the five guarantees will be withdrawn if people do not vote for the Congress.
The JD(S) has complained that it is a clear example of corrupting the electoral system and violation of the Representation of People Act, 1951. “The Election Commission has the power to cancel the recognition accorded to the Congress party. In this situation, both the legislator and the Congress have violated norms,” said a memorandum submitted to Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena on Friday by JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy. He led a delegation of party legislators.
Recently, addressing a public function in his constituency, Mr. Balakrishna had said that if people prefer akshate (sanctified rice distributed by the BJP during Ayodhya temple consecration) over the five guarantees, and vote accordingly in the coming election, then the government will be forced to believe that the guarantees did not have value, and could be withdrawn.
He said that Mr. Balakrishna could not have made such a statement without approval from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and party leader Rahul Gandhi. “Congressmen have understood that people will not vote for them in the coming election. They are making such statements out of frustration,” he said.
