The Election Commission of India on Thursday decided against countermanding Rajya Sabha polls in Karnataka on the ground that the sting videos did not present enough evidence to support the charges of bribery. Polls for the four seats will be held, as scheduled, on Saturday. The poll panel, however, ordered that the Returning Officer file an FIR against Independent MLA Mallikarjuna Khuba under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for openly demanding money for his vote. It will also write to the central government to initiate a CBI probe into the matter “so that all those who may be involved in such nefarious activities are exposed and duly punished under the law”. [related-post] Watch Video: What's making news On Thursday evening, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and his colleague A K Joti met to review the factual report sent by the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer on the sting videos that purportedly showed some MLAs of JD(S), Congress and a few Independent legislators, including Khuba, being offered bribes for their votes. The two top officers, however, were not convinced about revoking the elections in the state. The decision comes as a shot in the arm for the incumbent Congress party and the main opposition, BJP, both of whom did not want any change in the election schedule. Janata Dal (Secular), led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, had demanded that the polls be cancelled. There are five contenders for the four seats, including Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Oscar Fernandes. READ | Controversy over Karnataka RS polls is an opportunity to bring in crucial electoral reforms Justifying its decision to not rescind the elections, the EC, in its seven-page order, observed that although Khuba is allegedly seen seeking bribe for his vote, “there is no sufficient evidence on record to show whether any money really changed hands and whether any MLA, in fact, received any such illegal monetary inducement from any candidate or political party”. Moreover, the poll panel felt it would be too harsh to punish the whole Assembly of 224 members for an illegal act or misdemeanour of one of its members. The EC order also stated that the demands being made for deferment or countermanding of the Karnataka poll by drawing an analogy with the rescinding of the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand in 2012 are unfair as the facts of latter case were completely different. “In that case, the allegations of bribery of voters were corroborated by the seizure of Rs 2.15 crore in cash from the car belonging to one of the contesting candidates on the date of poll itself, which was intended to be used for bribing of voters. In the present case, there is no evidence, nor even an allegation, that any money has in fact been paid or received to any elector as bribe for his vote,” it said.
