Bengaluru, Dec 23: Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha has instructed the deputy commissioners and the superintendents of police of all the districts to take complaints regarding the violation of the election model code of conduct seriously and investigate them.
Jha, who held a video conferencing with the DCs and SPs on Monday, said though some of the media reports did not outline the specifics, he had directed the district administrations to be more vigilant.
He said so far his office had received 25 complaints, a majority of which were “inconsequential”, as they were “motivated complaints”.
He, however, said complaints against the Congress, especially the ones involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had been looked into seriously.
Jha said following media reports that there was mass distribution of food in Belagavi during Siddaramaiah’s campaign on December 20, an FIR had been lodged with the Belagavi police on the instruction of the deputy commissioner.
“The police will investigate whether inducements were offered and also who had organised the mass feeding. If there are any illegalities, then we will initiate action,” he said.
However, a similar complaint about mass distribution of food in Koppal during the campaigning of the Congress candidate (December 17) has been dropped. “The deputy commissioner has furnished a report stating that the charges were not true,” said Jha.
He said a complaint against Siddaramaiah for his participation in the launch of the Hosa Belaku scheme in Mysuru on December 11 was being looked into. “The Election Commission had cleared the CM’s participation. So, there has been no violation here,” he said.
In regard to a complaint against Congress leader and actor Ramya being chosen as the brand ambassador for the LED scheme, he said his office had sought a report from the Energy department to ascertain whether the party had “gained” any political mileage from it.
Jha said vigilance would be intensified in the next four to five days.
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