Karnataka assembly elections: FIR filed against BJP MLA Renukacharya over MCC violation

BJP MLA Renukacharya has been accused of violating the MCC by holding election meeting and arranging meals for the participants.

Bengaluru: An FIR has been registered against Karnataka chief minister Basavraj Bommai's political secretary and Honnali BJP MLA MP Renukacharya for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which is in place following announcement of elections to the state's Legislative Assembly. Karnataka will go for polls on May 10 and the Election Commission of India (ECI) had notified it on March 29. The complaint was filed at Highground police station and Renukacharya has been booked under sections 171E, 171I of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

It has been alleged that Renukacharya addressed a voters' meeting in Gururaja Kalyana Mantapam on April 2 in order to woo the voters. Meals were also arranged for the participants. Along with Renukacharya, police registered case against another BJP leader Santosh Kumar, who organised the meeting. Election officer Vijay Kumar complained against the duo for violating MCC by organising the meeting and arranging meals.

Another MCC violation case was registered recently at Bengaluru's Malleswaram police station against former minister and BJP leader Krishnaiah Shetty, who is a BJP ticket aspirant from the city's Gandhinagar. Election commission officials seized food kits, including rice, jaggery, dry fruits and cooking oil, worth Rs eight lakh during an inspection. The Election Commission of India has seized Rs 25 crore from March 29 to April 4 and registered 432 FIRs. Also, liquour worth Rs 11,441,376 and Rs 3.14 crore of drugs were also seized since the MCC came into force.