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NEW DELHI — The BJP on Tuesday approached the Election Commission with a demand to disqualify Congress Bellary MP E Tukaram, alleging illegal money was used to influence voters in his constituency during the Lok Sabha polls, and he did not show the actual expenditure incurred on the election.
In a separate memorandum to the poll panel, the Karnataka BJP delegation also accused the state government of violating the Model Code of Conduct by allegedly giving "full page advertisement" in all Kannada and English dailies ahead of the assembly by-polls on three seats in the state.
The party demanded "stringent action" against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar and the ruling Congress for the alleged violation of the MCC.
It also urged the Election Commission to direct the registration of an FIR against Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar under various sections of the law as well as restrain the Karnataka government and the Congress from further publishing "such misleading advertisements" in the media.
The Karnataka BJP delegation was led by its president Vijayendra Yediyurappa.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting here, Yediyurappa said the BJP delegation demanded the EC disqualify Tukaram as "money siphoned off from the Karnataka Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited" was used to influence voters in his constituency during the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.
The state BJP chief claimed that Rs 187 crore was siphoned off from the KVSTDC Limited and used by the Congress during the Lok Sabha elections in the state and elsewhere.
"This has been exposed," he told reporters, referring to the findings of an Enforcement Directorate probe into the case.
"We have requested the Election Commission to initiate action. Since the elected Member of Parliament E Tukaram has violated all the norms and exceeded the limit of expenditure also, we requested the Election Commission to take serious note of it and disqualify him," he added.
In its memorandum, the Karnataka BJP requested the poll panel to reject the poll expenditure accounts filed by Tukaram and initiate a "detailed and comprehensive investigation into the allegations of bribery, undue influence, misuse of government resources and illegal financial transactions involved in his election campaign for the Bellary constituency".
"Illegal money was used in Tukaram's poll campaign and he is directly involved… he not only wholesomely exceeded the prescribed expenditure limits but also falsified accounts," it added.