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    Was EC pressured by BJP over BBMP commissioner?

    Synopsis

    The Election Commission’s decision to transfer Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad has raised eyebrows in bureaucratic circles of the state.

    imageAgencies
    BJP accused Manjunatha Prasad of not allowing the party to put up ads.
    (This story originally appeared in on May 04, 2018)
    With just eight days to go for the polls to the state assembly, the Election Commission’s decision to transfer Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad has raised eyebrows in bureaucratic circles of the state.

    Interestingly, the opposition BJP had complained to the Election Commission against Manjunatha Prasad a few days ago accusing him of denying permission to the party to put up advertisements.

    According to the letter accessed by BM from the EC, BJP leaders including Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Dharmendra Pradhan had complained to the Chief Election Commissioner of India on May 2 demanding the transfer of Manjunath Prasad along with other Deputy Commissioners and DEOs including Dayanand, DEO, Bengaluru Urban, Priyanka Francis, DEO Udupi, Dr Harsha, Commisioner, Information Department, Venkatesh Kumar, DEO, Kalaburagi and Dr Bhagadi Gautam, DEO, Raichur.

    However, the EC’s decision to transfer only Manjunath Prasad in the list while remaining silent on other officials has triggered suspicion that the EC may has yielded to pressure from BJP leaders. The EC has now brought in Dr Maheshwar Rao who had been serving as Secretary, Agricultural Department, as commissioner of BBMP.

    The BJP leaders have also petitioned the EC to declare Belagavi North, Gokak, Yamakanamaradi, Badami and Babaleshwara constituencies as critical with deployment of Central Armed Police Force and micro observers to monitor movement of cash and other goods to influence voters. All the constituencies listed by the BJP have Congress heavyweights including CM Siddaramaiah, Jharakiholi brothers and Firoze Sait at the hustings.

    The complaint said, “A typical and glaring example of delay and denial is in the case of hoardings in BBMP, where the party initiated its first request for permission to put hoardings on April 13 and on the pretext of the order, the Commissioner of BBMP, who is also the DEO, denied the permission till date. In spite of ECI appointing a committee, which too was misled by this person, G Manjunath (Manjunatha Prasad), the matter of hoardings stands unresolved till date. There are thousands of such cases all over Karnataka where our party workers are caught between the exigencies of election campaign on one hand and delayed permission and approvals on the other.”

    Towards the end of the complaint, BJP leaders say, “N Manjunatha Prasad, the Commissioner of BBMP and DEO of BBMP area, who is the person behind the fiasco, be transferred forthwith. We have made such requests earlier also.”

    The complaint also further accused DEOs from various districts saying, “While immediate criminal action may be initiated against Gulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjuna Kharge, the DM/ DEO of the district be transferred forthwith. Dayanand, DEO of Bengaluru Urban, Priyanka Francis, DEO, Udupi, Dr Harsha, Director of Information, Venkatesh Kumar, DEO, Kalburgi and Dr Bhagadi Gautam, DEO Raichur, be relieved of their electoral duties and be transferred out their current assignments forthwith,” the letter read.

    An insider from BBMP said, “All started after the committee of Manjunatha Prasad prepared the report and submitted on the restrictions to be put on the political hoardings in the city. The several permissions for hoardings were rejected for all the parties not just for BJP. The city has been looking better than before but denial of permission for hoardings messed everything up. It is very sad that the Election Commission has issued the order to transfer the commissioner just two days after the BJP’s complaint in the matter. It looks like the Election Commission is giving heed to BJP’s whims instead of sticking to its duty,” he said.

    When Bangalore Mirror contacted N Manjunatha Prasad who has been transferred from his post, he refused to comment on the matter. The Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office too did not provide any clarifications.


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