Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president D.K. Shivakumar on Monday alleged that Housing and Muzrai Minister V. Somanna distributed money to workers at Unitek Apparels at Bhuvaneswari Nagar in Govindaraja Nagar Assembly constituency, and that the Congress workers and some residents locked him there for some time.
He told presspersons that the Nagarabhavi Block Congress Committee president Lakshman Gowda and his supporters went to Unitek Apparels and locked it, protesting against the alleged move by Mr. Somanna to influence voters in the by-elections to be held on Tuesday.
KPCC general secretary M. Ramachandrappa said that a posse of police personnel came and rescued the Minister. Mr. Shivakumar said that the KPCC would present a complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer urging him to take legal action against Mr. Somanna.
The two alleged that a TV channel was reporting the alleged grabbing of prime land belonging to a private textile company in the constituency by Mr. Somanna and his wife, Shailaja, but the Minister got power supply cut in the area with a view to preventing the channel from covering the news report.
Expressing shock over the inaction of the election observers for Govindaraja Nagar constituency to the distribution of money and the alleged highhandedness of the government agencies, Mr. Shivakumar urged the Election Commission to keep a watch on the activities of the Minister on Tuesday. The TV channel concerned should be allowed to continue its coverage, he added.
The Bapujinagar Block Congress Committee president, P.V. Prakash Kumar, has, in a press release, condemned the alleged land grabbing incident and alleged that the residents had to suffer due to power disconnection.
Thanking the Election Commission for “censuring” Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for “intimidating voters” at Santemarahalli in Kollegal Assembly constituency during an election campaign a couple of days ago, Mr. Shivakumar urged the commission to be tough with Mr. Somanna too and extend all protection to the Opposition candidates.
In Channapatna, the Congress leader said, the workers of the BJP and the Janata Dal(S) had started working for the Congress candidate. While the former Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, was indulging in emotional blackmail in Ramanagaram, the Channapatna candidate of that party had told the voters that he would consume poison rather than facing defeat.
Mr. Shivakumar said that the Congress would complain to the commission against the Janata Dal(S) leaders and urged it to take up a criminal case and disqualify the Channapatna candidate of the Janata Dal(S).
Mr. Ramachandrappa said that roads laid in the Govindaraja Nagar constituency had washed away in the rain because of sub-standard work. KPCC general secretary S.T. Somasekhar was present.
