HC orders notice to Siddaramaiah on petition challenging his election

The Karnataka High Court on Friday ordered notice to chief minister Siddaramaiah on an election petition challenging his election from Varuna assembly constituency in Mysuru district on grounds that he committed electoral malpractice in the May 10 assembly polls.

Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav ordered notice, which is returnable by September 1.

The petition was filed by KM Shankara, a voter from Varuna constituency. He contended that the five campaign pledges the Congress made to voters amounted to luring voters, an offence under the Representation of People's Act. 1950. The Section 123(1) of the Act explicitly banned such practices, the petitioner said.

“The five guarantees are the corrupt practices amounting to bribery and also undue influence under section 123(2) of the Representation of People Act. The said guarantees are in the nature of offer and promises made by the candidate and by the Indian National Congress party. They are in the form of gratification to the electorate of Varuna constituency and with the object of directly inducing the electorate to vote for the Congress party candidate - Siddaramaiah," the petition read.

The Congress party had pledged to fulfill five `gurantees' to voters if voted to power. They were: free supply of 200 units of electricity to consumers, free bus ride for women in all state transport buses, a monthly stipend for unemployed graduates and diploma holders, a monthly dole of Rs 2000 to each woman head of a family and 10 kg of free rice to each below-poverty line household.