Congress guarantees amount to allurements, inducements of voters, says JD(S); writes to EC

JD(S) urges Election Commission to restrain Congress from distributing guarantee cards, alleging electoral bribery and voter inducement.

The Janata Dal (Secular) on April 22 urged the Election Commission to restrain the Congress from disseminating and distributing guarantee cards and alleged that they were aimed at promoting electoral bribery and inducing of voters in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

In a letter to the poll body, JD(S) State President and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy noted that the Congress has published and released a manifesto for Lok Sabha elections under the heading — Nyay Patra which focuses on five Nyay — justice with 25 guarantees covering youth, women, farmers, workers and social justice.

"Under the above categorisation, the Congress has tried to reach out to various groups in society by announcing various promises and assurances which amount to allurements and inducements resulting not only in non-implementation of related promises but also causing a heavy burden on the exchequers of State and Central governments," it alleged.

The letter also alleged that six of those 25 guarantees have direct impact and consequences on the minds of voters and these amount to "corrupt electoral malpractice" and "inducement of voters."

The regional party also alleged that the Congress has gone one step ahead as the guarantee cards that are being distributed to households across India bear the promissory signatures of prominent Congress leaders — Rahul Gandhi and M Mallikarjun Kharge and an official endorsement purportedly containing QR code and also application form.

"These allurements and inducements to voters are in clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct and violation of various provisions under the Representation of People's Act 1951," the JD(S) charged.

It urged the poll body to take swift and strong action to restrain the Congress party from distributing the guarantee cards to households to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections.