BJP complains to poll officials on political activities in offices of K'taka Ministers, MLAs
Bengaluru: The BJP on Sunday complained to the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, regarding the continued political activities in the offices of ministers and MLAs of the Congress government in the state.
A delegation of BJP leaders led by party MLA and former Minister S Suresh Kumar have asked for Ministers and legislators to be barred from carrying out any political activity in government buildings.
''Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar seems to have thought Vidhana Soudha was a Congress office. On March 30, Sivakumar violated the Election Code of Conduct by organising Najma Nazeer Chikkanerale's induction into the Congress party, at the Vidhana Soudha office,'' BJP said in a statement.
It accused Shivakumar of defying the code of conduct by organising a political programme at the government office, despite being aware that it should not be done.
ALSO READ: Congress should have found compromise formula for Kolar: Minister KH Muniyappa
Despite this happening under the nose of the state's Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel, his apparent inaction is alarming, it added.
The Lok Sabha elections have been announced and filing of nomination papers have already started, but the lack of enforcement of the election code by government officials is evident, the BJP said, adding it has informed poll officials that party activities are still going on in the offices of several ruling party MLAs.
The ministers are holding press conferences from their offices in Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Saudha, it said. ''An example is that on March 25, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda held a press conference at Vikasa Soudha and criticised the Central government. The Election Commission should immediately close the offices of the Ministers,'' it added. Ministers and MLAs should be barred from carrying out any political activity in government buildings, the BJP said in its petition, and requested the Election Commission to give appropriate direction to the concerned authorities in this regard.
It also demanded that a strict action should be taken against the officials who are allowing such activities defying the rules.
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.
New Rajya Sabha members take oath
New Delhi (PTI): NCP-SCP leader Sharad Pawar and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale were among 19 new Rajya Sabha members who took oath here on Monday.
The oath was taken in the presence of Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan. Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were present during the ceremony in the Rajya Sabha chamber.
Floor leaders of respective parties were also present in the House.
The newly elected members comprised five from Maharashtra, six from Tamil Nadu, five from West Bengal and three from Odisha.
Maya Chintaman Ivnate of the BJP unit in Maharashtra was the first to take the oath, followed by Pawar, who arrived in a wheelchair.
Ramrao Sakharam Wadkute (BJP), Jyoti Nagnath Waghmare (SS) and Athawale (RPI-A) also took oath as members representing Maharashtra in the Upper House.
Manmohan Samal (BJP), Sanrupt Mishra (BJD) and Dilip Kumar Ray (Ind) took oath as members from Odisha, while Constandine Ravindran (DMK), Christopher Manickam (Congress), L K Sudhish (DMDK), M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Tiruchi Siva (DMK) and Ambumani Ramadoss (PMK) took oath as members representing Tamil Nadu.
From West Bengal, Babul Supriya Baral (AITC), Biswajit Sinha (BJP), Menaka Guruswamy (AITC), Rajeev Kumar (AITC) and Rukmini Mallik (AITC) took oath.
Most members took oath in their respective regional languages.
Chairman Radhakrishnan congratulated all the newly elected members.
