Karnataka BJP MLA Jarkiholi’s Rs 6,000 per vote comment: Cong files police complaint seeking probe

The statement made by Jarkiholi on January 22 was caught on camera. During the rally, he had alleged that a Congress candidate was offering gifts to voters in the constituency and the total cost of these gifts could be around Rs 3,000. “They gave a box the day before, which might cost Rs 70-80 in the market. Today’s gift might cost Rs 600-700. Let us round it (total worth of the gifts) off to Rs 1,000. They might give another round (of gifts). It might cost a total of Rs 3,000. You vote for us if we give you 6,000,” the former water resources minister had said.

The statement, according to the complaint, was “part of a concerted conspiracy hatched at the highest levels in the BJP with the tacit approval of the Chief Minister and Legislature Party leader of the BJP, Basavaraj Bommai, the national president of the BJP, JP Nadda, and the state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel. Obviously, there is a group of BJP leaders behind this concerted design to bribe voters.”

The complaint was filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Representation of People’s Act, 1951. Noting that there were around five crore voters in Karnataka, Congress alleged that BJP has hatched a “conspiracy to woo voters by distributing Rs 30,000 crores” of ill-gotten wealth to win the elections.

“There are a whole group of individuals involved in this conspiracy and the same will become apparent on the arrest and interrogation of the above said four persons and confiscation of their cell phones, computers, and other digital devices. The same is imperative to save democracy in the state of Karnataka,” the complaint read.

According to the Congress, this was a fit case for an investigation by the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate. “We urge the police to take this complaint seriously and to take all necessary steps to ensure that the purity of the upcoming state elections is maintained,” the complaint added.