Annul Bellary, Raichur LS polls, BJP urges governor

Bengaluru: Stepping up its attack on the Congress govt, the opposition BJP on Thursday called on governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, urging him to countermand the elections for the Bellary and Raichur Lok Sabha seats held in May. This comes in the wake of a revelation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the alleged misuse of funds drawn from the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation in these elections.
In a chargesheet submitted to the special court for MLAs and MPs three days ago, the ED claimed that Rs 20 crore from the corporation's funds were diverted to Ballari during the Lok Sabha elections. The chargesheet also named former minister B Nagendra as the primary accused.
A BJP delegation, led by senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, met with governor Gehlot, urging him to recommend that the Election Commission annul the results for the Bellary and Raichur constituencies. "The findings of the chargesheet have proven that the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka were not held in a free and fair manner as required under Sections 46 and 14 of the Constitution. Therefore, the governor must recommend countermanding the results of these two constituencies," the delegation stated.
The BJP also called for the disqualification of Nagendra's assembly membership and the removal of Basanagouda Daddal from his position as chairman of the Valmiki Corporation. "We have also brought to the governor's attention the misuse of around Rs 16,000 crore for the five guarantees," said former BJP MLA Aravind Limbavali after the meeting.