Taking serious exception to the announcement made by BJP MLA from Kalaburagi South and Chairman of Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) Dattatreya Patil Revoor that the board would release ₹ 1 crore to each gram panchayats whose members would be elected unopposed, Kalaburagi District Congress Committee lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission on Tuesday. MLA from Chittapur and former Minister Priyank Kharge and former MLC Allamprabhu Patil submitted the complaint copy, which was signed by Kalaburagi District Congress Committee president Jagadev Guttedar, to the State Chief Election Officer Basavaraju in Bengaluru.
Terming the announcement by the KKRDB Chairman as “misuse of power” and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct in force for the gram panchayat elections, Mr. Guttedar urged the Chief Election Officer to take action against Mr. Revoor.
“Announcing ₹ 1 crore to those gram panchayats whose members are elected unopposed will provoke contenders from withdrawing their nomination papers for the elections. Contesting or withdrawing nomination papers is the choice and right of the candidates. The provocation to withdraw nomination papers to ensure that all members in the gram panchayats are elected unopposed amounts to a violation of the Model Code of Conduct in force as well as Section 171 of Indian Penal Code,” Mr. Kharge told The Hindu after submitting the complaint copy.
The Congress has in the complaint said that the funds allocated to KKRDB, which was established in 2013 as part of implementing Special Status accorded to Kalyana Karnataka region under Article 371(J) of the Constitution, could be used only for development projects.
