The Election Commission on Thursday night gave its go-ahead for June 11 election to the Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka but ordered an FIR against JD(S) MlA Mallikarjun Khuba for seeking bribe for backing a Congress nominee and a CBI probe into entire cash-for-vote allegations.
“The Commission is not satisfied that the whole electoral process, now in progress, for the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha is so vitiated by the allegations that it should not be permitted to continue. Therefore, the Commission has decided not to defer the poll scheduled to be held on June 11, nor to make any recommendation to the President for rescinding the electoral process for the biennial election under reference,” the seven-page EC order said.
But at the same time it agreed that it “cannot ignore to take cognisance of certain illegal activities” as appeared in the media, including the TV channels. It said JD(S) MlA Mallikarjun Khuba, being a public servant “may also be deemed to have committed an offence” under the Prevention of Corruption Act for seeking bribe for electing a member of the Rajya Sabha. In the sting, Khuba is shown seeking
Rs 5 crore as bribe for garnering votes in favour of a particular candidate.
“On perusal of the transcripts of the footage in the CD, it is observed that only one of the members of the Karnataka legislative Assembly, namely, Mallikarjun Khuba has openly demanded a certain amount of money for casting his vote in favour of the candidate of the party which gives him such money by stating that ‘If you want my vote, it will not be one or two crore. Give election money, it is settled. My offer is above Rs 5 crore. For team it is same rate,” the EC order points out. The EC also said that in the CD, Khuba stated that he can manage to procure the votes of certain other MlAs if they are also paid the price mentioned by him for them. “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,” the EC said.
“Accordingly, the Commission hereby directs the Returning Officer for the biennial election to Rajya Sabha by members of the Karnataka legislative Assembly to file an FIR against Shri Mallikarjuna Khuba, and others involved, under the provisions of section 171B of the Indian Penal Code and the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Commission would also separately address the Ministry of Personnel, Pensions, Public Grievance & Administrative Reforms to instruct the Central Bureau of Investigation to take up the matter for proper investigation,” the order said.