Congress candidate for the Rajarajeshwari Nagar bypolls, H. Kusuma, and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah were booked for violation of the model code of conduct in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The Congress party registered its protest against filing an FIR against the candidate, terming it "cheap politics".
An FIR was filed by the Bengaluru police based on a complaint filed by ASI Nagaraj N., the officer deputed for security around the RR Nagar election office. The police charged Kusuma and others with violating IPC Section 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant) and Section 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty) for allegedly breaching the security at the election office by entering the barricaded area (100 metres around the returning officer's office).
On Wednesday, around 11.15am, Congress leaders including KPCC president D. K. Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah accompanied Kusuma to the election office for filing her nomination. They drove past the barricades though the police tried to stop them as there was a restriction against the entry of vehicles and the number of persons accompanying the candidate.
KPCC chief D. K. Shivakumar accused the BJP of playing "cheap politics" and alleged that even the BJP candidate and leaders had violated the code by crowding during the filing of nominations. But the police had chosen to look the other way. "Why is the ruling party targeting our candidate? We have drone pictures to prove the BJP ministers, deputy chief minister and revenue minister violating the code as they too crossed the barricades. Why is the law selective?" asked Shivakumar.
Shivakumar slammed the BJP candidate Munirathna, saying the party-hopper had a long history of misuing the police and the BBMP officials in his constituency. "He has booked cases against the party workers of all three parties and has harrassed women corporators in the past," said Shivakumar adding that the BJP was trying to intimidate their candidate, a newbie in politics, and the party workers and voters.
Kusuma (31) is the wife of IAS officer late D.K. Ravi, who died in 2015. An engineering graduate with a masters from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, US, Kusuma is the daughter of JD(S) leader Hanumantharayappa, a popular Vokkaliga face in RR Nagar. She joined the Congress this month and will be taking on BJP candidate R. Munirathna, the siiting Congress MLA who was disqualified under the anti-defection law, necessitating the bypolls.
