Gokak court issues summons to CM B S Yediyurappa over Model Code of Conduct violation

Principal JMFC Court, Gokak has issued summons to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa after taking cognizance of a violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during a byelection for Gokak Assembly Constituency in 2019. During the speech, Yediyurappa had called the Veershaiva Lingayat community to vote for party candidate Ramesh Jarkiholi.

Yediyurappa had addressed election rally for Ramesh Jarkiholi on November 23, 2019, at Gokak wherein he is accused of calling out to the Veershaiva Lingayat community to vote for the party candidate to ensure that their votes did not split. He's accused of attempting to consolidate the Veerashaiva voters in Gokak, where Lingayat Veerashaiva is one of the dominant communities.

"The accused at two occasions in his speech appeals to the general public in particular to the specific community but not to the workers of the party attributing the caste and community for seeking votes in favour of the candidate of the Gokak Constituency," stated the order.

The Investigating Officer into the case from Gokak Town Police Station, where the case against the chief minister was registered had filed, a B-report in the court making an appeal to dismiss the case on the ground that due to mistake of facts and pressure of work and on the wrong assumption first informant has lodged the first information. The court, however, rejected the B-report and summoned the chief minister.