EC to focus on 'inducement-free' LS elections in Karnataka, says top official
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena said on Wednesday that the focus is to have an "inducement-free" Lok Sabha elections in the state with strict vigilance on "star campaigners" and ensure a level playing field in the entire process.
Noting that more than muscle power, it's the inducement issue that the southern states face in the election process, he told PTI in an interview. "Our focus is to have an inducement-free and fair election. We will put more effort and teams to ensure it is free, fair and peaceful."
"We have almost 14 enforcement agencies from the Central as well as the state government which will keep an eye on everything. We started this exercise six months ago with Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate, Customs, Director of Revenue Intelligence, Narcotics Bureau, Excise all part of this (exercise) are keeping tabs on where the money, drugs, liquor is flowing who are the kingpins and where it is being stored. So we have an advanced vigilance on them (political parties)," he added.
Meena also said there is heightened vigilance at all the 172 interstate police and nearly 60 excise check posts by Election Commission officials since last month. "Keeping close surveillance on the activities there and extensive checking of all the vehicles passing by. Keeping tabs on if there is flow of any cash, drugs or liquor from its neighbouring states".
"We need to ensure that it is a level playing field. The party in power should not take advantage during campaigning be it state or the union government. Being in power should not be taken as an advantage.. if they don't follow the Model Code of Conduct, then as per the existing laws, we will take action against them," Meena said.
Training has been conducted at various levels the full election machinery, district election officers, superintendents of police and the district machineries till the polling officials, the expenditure monitoring team, the MCC team, he said.
"We will keep an eye on all the political campaigners, especially the star campaigners. If a star campaigner comes to a constituency, then our video surveillance team will record their full speech from start to end without any break," Meena said.
"Our teams will keep a tab on the expenditure by them. How big the stage is, how many chairs were placed, venues used for campaigns. How many vehicles were used. All these are essential for calculating the expenditure.
"If we find that anything they spoke violated the MCC, then immediate action will be taken against them as per strict guidelines from the Election Commission of India," he said.
According to Meena, all the sensitive areas across Karnataka have been identified based on previous election experience -- be it Assembly or Gram Panchayat election wherever there was a history of trouble and cases of inducement as per data. Extra teams have been put up at expenditure-sensitive constituencies to keep a strict vigil for any kind of inducement.
Those people who can create trouble on the day of the election have been identified. Police have initiated legal action under various CrPC sections against potential "trouble makers", including those booked under the Goondas Act who can probably threaten the voters.
Stating that the schedule for Lok Sabha elections can be declared any moment, he said the state election commission is ready in "all senses", adding, the voter list is ready.
"After the Karnataka Assembly election (in May last year), during August-September, we did the first internal checking of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). We had to clean it (machine), the old results had to be erased and prepare the machines. All this was done in front of the political parties," he said.
Highlighting the recent press statement by the Election Commission, he urged political parties and its candidates to refrain from criticising any individual during their election campaigns. They can criticise the policies but should refrain from using abusive words, or using caste as a slur or use religious places for campaigns.
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MP: Congress MLA's son booked for abetting woman's suicide
Bhopal, Sep 15: Madhya Pradesh police on Sunday registered a case against Pushpraj Singh Patel, son of Congress MLA Sena Mahesh Patel, for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 25-year-old woman, an official said.
The woman, identified as Damini Thakur from Alirajpur district, killed herself earlier this week unable to stand repeated threats issued by the accused who was forcing her to marry him, an official said.
The accused is the son of Congress MLA from Jobat constituency, Sena Mahesh Patel.
"The woman's family members complained that Pushpraj Singh Patel was forcing her to marry him," said Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Vyas.
The accused had repeatedly threatened Thakur and her previous fiancés, causing disruptions in her engagements. In 2019, Patel’s threats led to the dissolution of Thakur's first engagement. A similar situation emerged in 2024 with her second engagement.
The woman was engaged to a man from Vadodara in 2019 but Patel repeatedly threatened her fiance and even attacked him, leading to the cancellation of the engagement, the SP said.
"She (Thakur) was engaged to a man from Vadodara in 2024, but Patel threatened her brother and fiance, which created apprehension about breaking the engagement, forcing the woman to commit suicide," Vyas said.
Police have registered a case under section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and are investigating the matter.
