The Election Commission has not banned screening of films involving actors contesting the May 5 elections to the State Legislative Assembly.
M.H. Ambareesh, who was junior minister for a short-term in the first UPA government, is contesting from Mandya constituency while Umashree is locked in an electoral battle from Terdal constituency in Bagalkot district. Both are Congress candidates.
Pooja Gandhi of Mungaru Male fame has entered into electoral fray as BSR Congress candidate from Raichur.
Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha told presspersons here on Monday that “film is an art and we cannot stop it from screening.”
“If there is any evidence or link between contesting candidate and screening the film, then we will add the cost of screening of such films to the expenditure list of the candidate,” Mr. Jha said. There was no blanket ban on showing film of actors who are in the poll fray, he added.
Cash seizure
Total seizure of cash has crossed Rs. 13 crore in the State. In the last 24 hours, authorities have seized Rs. 8.4 lakh from a KSRTC bus in Hospet in Bellary district, Rs. 5 lakh in Basavanabagewadi in Bijapur, Rs. 3.5 lakh in Maski in Raichur, Rs. 3 lakh in Hirekur in Haveri and Rs. 2 lakh in Nelamangala, the CEO said.
Exercise Department officials have seized liquor worth Rs. 75,000 in Tiptur and Rs 80,000 in Mysore.
The total number of cases registered with regard to poll code violation stood at 1,848 as on Monday. A total of 45,000 persons cast their votes through postal ballot during the training programme in the State, he said.
In the case of cash seizure, the CEO told the public to produce documents to justify their cash transaction was legal.
