Date:23/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/23/stories/2008122354760500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

BJP has violated poll code: Congress

Special Correspondent

Session will be held for 10 days from January 16
Congress to submit a petition to the Election Commission

BANGALORE: The Congress has alleged that the BJP Government in the State has violated the model code of conduct by announcing the decision to hold the winter session of the State legislature in Belgaum from January 16 for 10 days.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge said that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has been “emotionally exploiting the voters,” which Mr. Kharge termed as the “biggest crime.”

The party will submit a petition to the Election Commission seeking action against the Chief Minister and the Government for the violation of model code of conduct. The State legislature met only for 17 days in 2008, he said.

Mr. Kharge also said that a large number of farmers selected for the China tour hailed from the six districts where byelections are to be held on December 27.

Around 90 farmers leave for China on Tuesday on a seven-day study tour. Most of the farmers selected for the tour were not “real farmers” but they are party workers and leaders of the BJP, he alleged.

Instead of leaving it to the local bodies like gram panchayats, Raitha Samparka Kendras, cooperatives and Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs), to select the farmers for the trip, the Government has selected the farmers on party lines. “When the State is facing severe financial crisis due to economic slowdown, there is no necessity of sending farmers to a communist country now”. The Government should cut down non-Plan expenditure during the economic downturn.

The Government has been discriminating in allocation of funds and only BJP legislators have been receiving funds for taking up works in their constituencies, Mr. Kharge alleged.

Listing out the instances of violation of code of conduct by the Government, the Congress would submit the petition to the Election Commission, he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council V.S. Ugrappa was present.