BJP files complaint against Kharge for voting with wife

The state BJP unit filed a complaint with the Election Commission on Tuesday taking exception to Congress leader and Kalaburagi Congress candidate M Mallikarjun Kharge entering polling station with his wife Radhabai and casting votes together.

In the complaint, the party said, “The code of conduct mandates that only one person shall go near the ballot machine to vote to maintain secrecy. The returning officers’ manual also directs extra care
to be taken to safeguard the secrecy of voting”.

The party has said that action should also be initiated against the polling booth officials at Basava Nagar Booth Number 119 for the violation of rules. The incident is in violation of section 128 of Representation of People’s Act, the party’s said in the complaint.

Apart from his wife, Kharge’s grandson - who is a minor - was also seen at the polling station. N Ravikumar, general secretary of the State BJP and M Vinod Kumar, state legal Pramukh, Election Management Committee of the party, has lodged the complaint with the Election Commission.