The ECI had sought to know why action should not be initiated against them for violating the model code of conduct while campaigning for the bypolls by using a place of worship for electioneering.

The ECI had even directed that a FIR be filed under the Religious Institutions Misuse Act, 1988,Eshwarappa in his reply has specified that under no circumstance had he campaigned at the temple. The party had chalked out a schedule for the campaign and he happened to pass by the temple to reach the next point in the schedule.

In a separate reply, Namoshi has stated that he only spoke to party workers at Sanganakallu village. “The workers said Sriramulu and Reddy brothers had prevented them from quarrying stone by convincing them that the Archeological Survey of India had banned it. I only gave them a patient hearing,” Namoshi said.

Election officers in Bellary on Thursday registered a case for unauthorised pasting of posters on public property and seized a car containing T-shirts, both purportedly being used to canvass for B Sriramulu.