Shivakumar says CMO calling up officials to reject Congress candidates, CM denies charge

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 22 (ANI): Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar has alleged that legal teams of the Bharatiya Janta Party's (BJP) are making all attempts to ensure that nominations of the Congress candidates are disqualified ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections.
Shivakumar claimed that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai personally calls up officials and urged the Election Commission to check the call register of the Chief Minister.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Shivakumar said, "BJP legal team and Chief Minister's Office are trying everything to make sure Congress candidates nominations' are disqualified. I request ECI to collect the call register of the Chief Minister. In Savadatti also, the same thing happened. CM himself called officials."
The Congress leader alleged that Bommai's office was a participant the malpractices and asked Returning officials to accept application of their party candidates.
Claiming that Congress candidates are being disqualified after "calls" from the CMO, Shivakumar alleged that the nominations of the BJP candidates, which "need to be rejected" are being put on hold, adding that attempts were made to disqualify his application also.
"Calls are going from the Chief Minister's Office to the Returning Officer and Congress candidates are being disqualified, applications of some Bharatiya Janata Party candidates need to be rejected but are put on hold.
"You know how they acted in my case even after I filed nominations many times. They tried to disqualify my application also," the Karnataka Congress chief said.
The Election Commission had on Friday accepted the nomination of Shivakumar for the Kanakapura assembly constituency. Earlier on Thursday, Shivakumar's brother and Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh had filed nomination from the Kanakapura segment as a "precaution" in case the nomination of Shivakumar got rejected.
The development came even as the Karnataka High Court rejected Shivakumar's plea challenging the State government's permission to the CBI to prosecute him in a disproportionate assets case.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar has also dismissed allegations that he had sought bribe while issuing B-Forms to his party candidates before filing election nominations.
"I never received a 40 per cent commission. Shobha Karandlaje, Madal Virupakshappa, Yatnal, Gulihatti Shekar, KS Eshwarappa and many others made 40 per cent allegations (against me ----- against BJP not me, against their own government these people made allegations ) ...Shobha Karandlaje and many others are trying to destroy BS Yediyurappa. The entire state election is over 40 per cent corruption, and other issues are also included," Shivakumar said.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje had yesterday alleged that KPCC and Shivakumar took bribe money while issuing B-Forms to his party candidates ahead of filing nominations for election. She stated that Shivakumar had violated the poll norms and action should be taken against him.
Meanwhile Shivakumar today also said that many leaders are trying to join the Congress and several Kalyana Karnataka's leaders have already joined.
"Kalyana Karnataka's several leaders already joined us. Many others are wishing to join Congress in the district and taluk units, I've also suggested our leaders the same. I welcome those who want to join us," he said.
"Vishwanath Patil, a 3-time former MLA is also joining us. Chittapur is an important constituency. Arvind Chauhan is also joining us," Shivakumar added.
The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13. (ANI)