CM Bommai assures impartial investigation into voters’ list revision

Recently, the Election Commission of India suspended two electoral officials in relation to allegations of voter fraud in the BBMP area

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said the government is probing the controversy on voters’ list revision in an impartial manner and any officer, organisation or agency found guilty will be punished.

Talking to reporters after garlanding the statue of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on the occasion of the Constitution Day, he said several persons were already arrested in this connection and the inquiry of officials was on. The Election Commission of India had decided to revise the voters’ list where deletion of names has occurred and the government would welcome it. The election must be held in a free and fair manner, he added.

 “We will welcome certain steps such as rectifying the list where names have been purposefully deleted at two or three places despite having the Voter’s Identity Card,” Mr. Bommai said.

The Election Commission of India on Friday suspended two electoral officials in relation to allegations of voter fraud and the allegedly illegal collection of voter data by a private firm in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area.

S. Rangappa, Additional District Election Officer (ADEO), BBMP (Central) in-charge of Shivajinagar and Chickpet constituencies and K. Srinivas, Additional District Election Officer cum Deputy Commissioner Bengaluru Urban in-charge of Mahadevapura constituency were immediately placed under suspension and a departmental enquiry was instituted against them.

Commenting on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute, the Chief Minister said instructions had been given to Home Minister Araga Jnanendra to talk to Home Secretary of Maharashtra to ensure no one took law into their hands and disturbed the cordial relationship between the two states. Besides, the Maharashtra Police must ensure safety of the buses of Karnataka as well as life and property of Kannadigas settled in that state, he said.

The Karnataka and Maharashtra chief ministers engaged in a verbal duel over the border row, with both leaders expressing their commitment to protect the boundaries of their states.