K'taka CEO directs district authorities to check voter survey by private agencies
Bengaluru, Dec 16: With reports about private agencies conducting door-to-door survey of voters even after the alleged electoral data theft scam coming to light, the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka Manoj Kumar Meena on Friday directed the district election officers not to allow such activities by private agencies.
In a statement, Meena said there were some media reports that in a few districts some private agencies visited houses and procured personal information of the voters either manually or through IT applications.
"In this regard, the Election Commission of India has directed all District Election Officers to take adequate steps to ensure that any potential capture of data by any private agency by way of house to house survey, use of misleading I-cards, any attempt of voter data collection either by a private entity or otherwise and any authentication/NoC by DEOs/EROs to any private entity is strictly prohibited," the order said.
The order came at a time when the director and executive of a private entity Chilume Educational, Cultural and Rural Development Institute (Chilume Trust) were arrested on charges of issuing booth-level officers card to their employees in an unauthorised way.
According to the government authorities, only the retired government employees should be hired by the government agency as the Booth-level Officers (BLO) and no one else. Anyone else becoming BLO is impersonation, they added.
The Congress has alleged that the Chilume Trust was stealing voter data and was involved in the addition and deletion of voters from the electoral roll.
Based on the charges, the Election Commission has directed the scrutiny of electoral rolls in three Assembly constituencies of Bengaluru and suspension of two Indian Administrative Service officers.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Vijay unable to prove majority, not invited for CM oath ceremony: Sources
Chennai: Actor-politician Vijay has reportedly not been invited to take oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after failing to demonstrate support from the required number of MLAs, sources in Raj Bhavan said.
According to media reports that quoted sources in the office of R.N. Ravi Arlekar, Vijay could not prove the backing of 118 legislators, the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Despite last-minute efforts to secure support from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazagam (AMMK), and an IUML legislator, Vijay reportedly managed support from only 116 MLAs, falling short by two members.
Sources said Vijay failed to submit letters of support from the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Later, the IUML issued a statement clarifying that it was not part of the TVK-led alliance.
Meanwhile, AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran is also said to have informed the Governor that his party would support the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) instead.
Earlier in the evening, Vijay had met Governor Arlekar and staked claim to form the government, stating that he enjoyed the support of 118 MLAs.
