Karnataka election 2018: Contestants struggling to distribute freebies to voters

DHARWAD: With just four days left for polling, contestants in Dharwad district are restless and are making final bid effort to woo the voters.
Apart from countering their political rivals, they have got also to counter the vigilance squads which are monitoring implementation of type code of habits.

Normally all through elections 48 hours earlier than the polling commences are essential for the contestants as this is the time they tools up for distributing freebies to the voters. But the election officials and flying squads overseeing the implementation of type code of habits have stepped up the vigil.

Those sponsoring liquor aren't ready to take the chance of transporting it to the vacation spot. Instead, they're asking the contestants to raise the material and delivery it to the vacation spot at their own risk. The excise division’s strict action towards bars and liquor shops for violating bar licence conditions has also dissatisfied the political events’ plans of preserving the voters in ‘top spirits’.

The contestants and their marketing campaign managers are looking at ways to hoodwink the vigilance squads by passing the conversation thru electronic units. But the rival camps are the usage of the same electronic units to cross on details about the site of the freebies stored to the flying squads and serving to them seize the materials purportedly saved for distribution to the voters.

Dharwad district ranks second (after Bengaluru) in the state in poll seizures. So some distance the district election officials have seized 7.73 kg of gold estimated to be value Rs 2.20 crore, 6.45 kg silver, liquor value Rs 1.25 crore, 1,087 drive cookers value Rs 28 lakh, T-shirts value Rs 2 lakh, 20 automobiles, 60 two-wheelers, two vehicles and 3,840 saris value Rs 6 lakh.

“We had publicized the touch numbers of our flying squads. Members of the general public and political events are tipping us off at the places of the materials (stored for distribution among voters) with cartoon on WhatsApp and serving to us in seizing the materials,” stated district election officer and deputy commissioner S B Bommanahalli.

The relatively more uncomplicated method for the contestants to entice voters is to distribute money thru their native representatives at sales space degree. While the applicants who have been sure of having the price tag have done the home work a lot earlier than the enforcement of type code of habits, the ones whose candidature used to be introduced at the final moment are going through difficulty in attaining freebies to the voters.

Refuting allegations that the election officials have been soft towards the ruling birthday celebration, DC Bommanahalli stated all the participants of flying squads have been operating sincerely as in line with legislation and pointers of the Election Commission of India and there used to be no query of being biased towards any birthday celebration or individual.

“The places from where we seized the materials and money point out that we aren't sparing any one,” Bommanahalli stated and added that the squads can be still extra alert all through the following four days and make all out efforts to make sure unfastened and honest polling.