BJP pamphlets violate section 38, 7 of Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act: Congress

BENGALURU: About 50,000 copies of a pamphlet printed by BJP seeking votes for “capable candidates” in Karnataka’s gram panchayat elections on May 29 and June 2, has turned controversial.

Under the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, gram panchayat elections are apolitical and no party can use its symbol or urge electors to vote for its candidates. The BJP pamphlet, which states that it is printed by the party and has the lotus symbol, talks of “good governance from panchayat to Parliament”.

The pamphlet also prominently displays pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, along with smaller pictures of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, former chief ministers BS Yeddyurappa and Jagadish Shettar, state party president Prahlad Joshi, Union ministers Ananth Kumar, DV Sadananda Gowda, and former deputy chief ministers KS Eshwarappa and R Ashoka.

“We are asking for action against all those whose pictures have been put on the pamphlet, which violates Section 38 and Section 7 of the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act. This includes the PM and the BJP national president. Violators can be punished with up to six months imprisonment,” Congress MLC VS Ugrappa, an advocate and aide of chief minister Siddaramaiah, told ET.

Congress will submit the pamphlet, along with a formal complaint, to the state election commission on Wednesday. “We have only done our duty as a responsible political party. We are distributing these pamphlets with details of our performance and the present government’s nonperformance. And all we have said is, vote for capable and good candidates. What is wrong with that,” BJP state general secretary CT Ravi asked.