Times Now Got Inaccurate K’taka Poll Dates From ‘Informed Sources’
BJP’s IT cell chief shared ‘dates’ of the Karnataka polls minutes before the Election Commission’s announcement.
Minutes before the Election Commission announced the dates for the Karnataka Assembly polls on 27 March, BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted the dates, albeit incorrect.
- Amit Malviya claimed he got the information from a Times Now news flash
- Times Now said “given that the information was not entirely accurate, it is obvious it was not a leak”
- “Malviya’s tweet had no intention of undermining the stature of EC,” BJP said
- Congress alleged that Malviya’s tweet proves that the BJP is dictating polling dates to EC
- The EC said it will probe how the poll dates got leaked
- The Karnataka elections will be held in a single phase on 12 May with the counting on 15 May
BJP to Announce Candidates List in 5-6 days
The BJP's Karnataka unit on Wednesday said it would announce its list of candidates in five to six days for the May 12 assembly polls.
"After three days, after Amit Shah's (BJP National President) visit to Mysuru, I will go to Delhi and get things finalised there," BJP's Karnataka unit chief B S Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru.
"In another five to six days, we will announce the list (of candidates)," Yeddyurappa added.
EC Receives Responses From Malviya, Times Now, Suvarna News
- BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya maintained on Wednesday that he got the information from Times Now.
- Times Now has told the Election Commission that it got the information from "informed sources". It also said that "given that the information was not entirely accurate, it is obvious it was not a leak".
- Kannada new channel Suvarna News said, the poll schedule was first reported by Times Now and it took the same news. It said it had no sources inside the poll panel.
EC Sets Up Committee to Probe The Leak
The Election Commission set up a committee to probe the leak of Karnataka election dates. The committee will submit the report in seven days.
Highly-placed sources in the Election Commission (EC) told PTI the Intelligence Bureau may be approached to get call records of all those who were in the know of the official schedule of the election and counting dates.
Rahul Dravid to Be Brand Ambassador For Karnataka Polls: EC
Sanjeev Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer for Karnataka said that that former cricketer, and coach Rahul Dravid will be the brand ambassador for the Karnataka elections.
Here’s some information regarding the upcoming polls that the EC gave:
- Nine percent increase in the number of the polling booths in the state.
- 56,696 polling stations across the state.
- 3,56,552 polling personnel to be deployed.
- Number of young voters increased from 7.18 lakhs in 2013 to 15.42 lakhs in 2018.
- During this year’s election, 450 all women polling stations to be set up.
- For the first time, government employees with disabilities will be deployed as polling officers.
BJP Using And Misusing All Agencies: Mamata
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led NDA government of "using and misusing" all agencies, including the Election Commission.
Banerjee, while speaking to media on the issue of the leaked dates of the Karnataka polls, lashed out at the ruling party and said all institutions were being transformed into "BJP institutions".
"All agencies are being used and misused. All institutions are becoming BJP institutions," Banerjee told PTI in New Delhi.
Model Code Won't Affect Setting Up Cauvery Board: CEC
The Election Commission or the model code of conduct will "not come in the way" of the Union government setting up the Cauvery water management board as per the Supreme Court's directions, Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said on Tuesday.
Responding to a question on the applicability of the model code for the Centre in constituting the board to implement the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award for Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and a few other states, the CEC said, "Whatever is the direction or order of the court and the (steps in) compliance thereof, the Commission or the model code of conduct does not come in the way."
"Got the Info From Times Now," Clarifies Malviya
Regarding his tweet which declared the Karnataka Election dates before the Election Commission’s announcement, Amit Malviya has written a clarification to the poll body saying that he got the information from a “news break put out by Times Now.”
Malviya also attached the tweets by Karnataka Congress’s social media in-charge Srivatsa YB, who also tweeted the same dates before the announcement.
In his clarification letter to EC, Amit Malviya attached a capture of Times Now showing the wrong dates which he referred to.
Malviya Shouldn't Have Tweeted: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
A delegation led by BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi met EC officials in connection with Malviya's tweet. After the meeting, Naqvi said that Malviya got the information through a TV channel but shouldn’t have put out the tweet.
BJP is Dictating Polling Dates to EC: Congress
Claiming that “such a thing has never happened before,” Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that Malviya’s tweet shows collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission.
Amit Shah Targets Siddaramaiah Over Farmers' Issues, Lingayat Card
While addressing the media in Bengaluru, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state.
Accusing the Congress of inefficiency and corruption, Shah said the government did nothing to address the issues of farmers, leading them to suicide.
“If the Yeddyurappa government comes to power, it will be committed to addressing the issues of farmers.”
Attacking the government over the Lingayat issue, Shah said it's just doublespeak and a poll plank of the Congress government. “On one side, their top leader speaks of uniting the community, on the other, the Karnataka chief minister is dividing the Hindu community,” said Shah.
Karnataka Polls on 12 May, Counting on 15 May
The Karnataka Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on 12 May 2018. The counting of votes will take place on 15 May, announced CEC OP Rawat.
Here are the important dates for the upcoming polls, as announced by the EC:
- Issue of notification: 17 April 2018
- Last day to submit nomination: 24 April 2018
- Scrutiny of nomination: 25 April 2018
- Last date for withdrawal of nomination: 27 April 2018
- Date of polls: 12 May 2018
- Date of counting: 15 May 2018
Will Probe How Dates Got Leaked: CEC
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat said, “Certain things may have leaked” for which the body “will take action”. His statement came after the BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya announced elections dates – albeit incorrect – on Twitter, before the EC's announcement.
Rs 23 Lakh Ceiling on Expenditure Per Candidate: CEC
“The ceiling on expenditure per candidate is Rs 23 lakh, but there is no cap on the expenditure of parties,” said CEC OP Rawat, announcing the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly polls.
Model Code of Conduct Comes Into Force
CEC OP Rawat reiterated that with the announcement of polls in Karnataka, the Model Code of Conduct immediately comes into force and all provisions apply to the state.
He appealed to the media to highlight any activity that does not comply with the Model Code of Conduct. He added that paid news will also be monitored by the Election Commission.
Nearly 5 Crore People Registered to Vote: CEC
CEC OP Rawat announced that nearly 5 crore people are registered to cast their votes in the Karnataka Assembly polls.
EVMs and VVPAT in Every Polling Station: OP Rawat
Chief Election Commissioner of India OP Rawat said there will be 52,696 polling stations in the Karnataka Assembly elections, 2018. He added that all polling stations will have Electronic Voting Machines and VVPAT.
Rawat said that the ballot will have photos of the candidates attached to it.
Watch: EC Announces Karnataka Elections Dates
Battleground Karnataka: The Players
While incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is the Congress candidate for the top post, the BJP has been projecting former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa as the party’s candidate. Beside, the Congress and the BJP, the JD(S) led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda is the third player in the fray.
BJP president Amit Shah is currently on a two-day tour of the central Karnataka region, while Congress president Rahul Gandhi ended his fourth round of visits to the state on Sunday, 25 March.
In the elections held in 2013, the Congress won 122 of the 224 seats, and Siddaramaiah became the chief minister of the state. The election saw the party returning to power after nine years.
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