Bengaluru: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka Manoj Kumar Meena on Thursday requested the regional commissioner of Bengaluru to conduct a detailed inquiry into the alleged violation by a private firm in creating awareness on voter registration.
Meena said his office received a complaint on WhatsApp on November 10 wherein it was alleged that a private person used an identity card to impersonate the booth-level officer in Mahadevapura Assembly constituency.
“With regard to the complaint, the electoral registration officer reported that identity cards were issued to Chilume Educational, Cultural and Rural Development Trust (the NGO in question) to work as booth-level coordinating officer on January 29, 2022 based on the permission of district election officer given to the said institution for coordinating with the BLOs and that the said institution has made photocopies of the ID cards and written BLO, June 9, 2022, on them,” Meena said in his letter.
He added that a case has been registered with the Whitefield police station with regard to the misuse of permission and the ID card.
According to the CEO, his office received such identity cards from other Assembly constituencies of Bengaluru city.
“In view of the sensitivity and seriousness of the above issue, it is felt necessary that a comprehensive investigation is required to be conducted. Hence, you are requested to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter and send a comprehensive report at the earliest,” Meena wrote.
Congress national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala today demanded the resignation of Bommai, alleging he is directly responsible for the corrupt electoral practice by assigning a private entity Chilume Trust to collect a door-to-door voter information.
Dismissing Congress’s allegation, Bommai said it has got bankrupt ideas due to which it was making baseless charges without any proof.”What I feel is that the Congress has got bankrupt ideas. It is a matter between the Election Commission of India, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the NGO,” Bommai said.
He said he was ready to get the matter probed.