NEW DELHI: The Karnataka High Court on Friday issued notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on a plea challenging his election as an MLA from the Varuna constituency for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices and bribery by offering five guarantee schemes to voters.
Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav sought a reply from the CM on the petition filed by K M Shankar, a voter from his constituency.
The court directed for listing of the petition on September 1.
The plea claimed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has indulged in corrupt practices and his actions have attracted the provisions under Section 123 of the Representation of Peoples Act.
He cited the guarantee schemes namely Gruha Jyothi, Gruha Lakshmi, Anna Bhagya, Yuva Nidhi and Shakthi to contend that schemes are against the public policy and are in the nature of offer and promises by the candidate and the Congress party.
He also claimed the implementation of these schemes are detrimental to the interest of the Karnataka State and those per se amount to bribery of corrupt practice.
"They are in the form of gratification to the electorate of the Varuna constituency and with the object of directly inducing the electorate to vote for the Congress party candidate, namely the respondent (Siddaramaiah)," the plea said.
The plea also said the Election Commission has issued guidelines for the political parties that they must avoid making those promises which are likely to vitiate the purity of the election process or exert undue influence on the voters.
