BJP complains to poll officials on political activities in offices of K’taka ministers, MLAs

PTI, Mar 31, 2024, 5:53 PM IST

The BJP on Sunday complained to the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, regarding the continued political activities in the offices of ministers and MLAs of the Congress government in the state.

A delegation of BJP leaders led by party MLA and former Minister S Suresh Kumar have asked for Ministers and legislators to be barred from carrying out any political activity in government buildings.

”Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar seems to have thought Vidhana Soudha was a Congress office. On March 30, Sivakumar violated the Election Code of Conduct by organising Najma Nazeer Chikkanerale’s induction into the Congress party, at the Vidhana Soudha office,” BJP said in a statement.

It accused Shivakumar of defying the code of conduct by organising a political programme at the government office, despite being aware that it should not be done.

Despite this happening under the nose of the state’s Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel, his apparent inaction is alarming, it added.

The Lok Sabha elections have been announced and filing of nomination papers have already started, but the lack of enforcement of the election code by government officials is evident, the BJP said, adding it has informed poll officials that party activities are still going on in the offices of several ruling party MLAs.

The ministers are holding press conferences from their offices in Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Saudha, it said. ”An example is that on March 25, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda held a press conference at Vikasa Soudha and criticised the Central government. The Election Commission should immediately close the offices of the Ministers,” it added. Ministers and MLAs should be barred from carrying out any political activity in government buildings, the BJP said in its petition, and requested the Election Commission to give appropriate direction to the concerned authorities in this regard.

It also demanded that a strict action should be taken against the officials who are allowing such activities defying the rules.