Returning officer assaulted by BJP leader in Karnataka

A BJP leader from Tumkur in poll-bound Karnataka was arrested yesterday after he reportedly assaulted the Returning Officer of Gubbi assembly constituency.

Police said former President of Gubbi taluk BJP unit S Vijaykumar went to the office of Returning Officer K G Thimmareddy along with a large number of supporters to file his nomination papers as a rebel BJP candidate on Wednesday.

When the Returning Officer made them wait for a while as it was lunch time, an angry Vijaykumar and his followers were angry as it was an auspicious time to file the nomination papers.

Later, when the Returning Officer refused to allow more than five persons inside the office as per the Election Commission’s rule, an annoyed Vijaykumar and his supporters entered into an altercation with the Returning Officer. Subsequently, the BJP leader allegedly assaulted the Returning Officer.

The BJP leaders’ supporters prevented the office staff from coming out. The situation was brought under control after police rushed reinforcements to the spot and shifted the Returning Officer to the Government hospital.

The BJP leader, who went absconding soon after the incident, was arrested by the police yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has registered more than 300 criminal cases for violation of election code of conduct in poll-bound Karnataka ever since elections to the 224-member state assembly were announced on April 2.

Chief Electoral officer of Karnataka M N Vidyashankar told reporters that a criminal case had also been filed against former minister K Srinivas Gowda, a Congressman, for addressing a political gathering inside a temple in Kolar district.

Vidyashankar said the election officials had recovered Rs 32 million in cash from a house in Mandya, besides seizing 12,000 sarees meant for lure women voters during the ensuing elections in Chennapatna in Bangalore rural district and Honnali in Davangri district.

Also, a case has been slapped against former IPS officer K C Ramamurthy, who is aspiring to contest from an assembly constituency in Bangalore, for distributing free rice among people.