CM Shivakumar creating propaganda, anarchy over SIR, Form-7: K'taka BJP chief

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday accused the Congress government of indulging in propaganda over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the Form-7 issue and alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was attempting to create confusion and anarchy by staging a “drama” before the Election Commission.

Speaking to the media, Vijayendra questioned Shivakumar’s allegations that there was an attempt to delete 5,000 to 10,000 AHINDA voters from the electoral rolls in every Assembly constituency.

“Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar himself staged a dharna and tried to create a false drama. He is alleging that in every Assembly constituency there is a conspiracy to remove 5,000 to 10,000 AHINDA votes from the electoral rolls,” Vijayendra said.

Referring to Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukumar, Vijayendra said the officer was appointed by the state government and not by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he sought to question the basis of the Chief Minister's allegations against the BJP.

“Who is Anbukumar? He is an officer appointed by the state government. He is not appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Vijayendra said.

He referred to Anbukumar’s statement that 91,278 Form-7 objections had been submitted and questioned Shivakumar’s claim that attempts were being made to delete thousands of voters in every Assembly constituency.

“Yesterday, Anbukumar stated that around 91,278 objections had been submitted. But the Chief Minister claims that in every Assembly constituency, there is an attempt to remove 5,000 voters. How can these two claims be reconciled?” Vijayendra asked.

Vijayendra said submitting Form-7 was a legal right provided under the electoral process and alleged that the Chief Minister was unnecessarily making the issue a political controversy.

“I do not understand why the Chief Minister is making an issue out of the submission of Form-7. Form-7 is a legal right given by the Election Commission. Every political party has been given this right,” he said.

He said BJP Booth Level Agents-2 were submitting Form-7 applications, which would subsequently be scrutinised by Booth Level Officers.

“Our Booth Level Agents-2 submit Form-7 applications. The BLOs will look into them. Who are these BLOs? They are officers working under the state government. They are not under the Central government,” Vijayendra said.

He accused Shivakumar of making allegations against the BJP and JD(S) despite knowing that the electoral revision process was being handled by election officials.

“Knowing all this, the Chief Minister is, on the one hand, staging a drama before the State Election Commission and, on the other, making allegations against the BJP and JD(S),” Vijayendra alleged.

The BJP state president said the Chief Minister should first explain the discrepancy between his allegations and the figures provided by the Chief Electoral Officer before accusing opposition parties of attempting to delete voters from the electoral rolls.

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