Thaindian News

Bangalore, Sep 10 (IANS) The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), fighting two assembly by-polls in Karnataka, Friday charged union Minister of State for Corporate and Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid with violating poll code by promising jobs in private sector to minorities and deprived sections.
Khurshid referred to the Equal Opportunities Commission and the central government’s plan to encourage private sector to reserve jobs for the poorer sections of society at a press conference in Gulbarga Thursday.

He was in the north Karnataka district to campaign for the Congress candidate in the South Gulbarga assembly poll slated for Sep 13. The other by-poll is in Kadur in Chikmagalur.

Ajay Singh, son of former Karnataka chief minister Dharam Singh, is the Congress candidate.

BJP legislator B.N. Vijayakumar and the party’s media coordinator S. Prakash Friday met the state election authorities and lodged a complaint against Khurshid, claiming he had violated the poll code of conduct by trying to appeal to voters on the basis of religion.

They said, apart from his press conference statements, Khurshid also promised during the campaigning that the central government would soon come out with a programme to help minority community members to start their own businesses.

While the BJP complained against the central minister, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has had to reply to two notices by the election authorities. The Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular had complained against him.

The first notice was on his statement assuring reservation for Adi Banajiga community which has sizeable number of votes in South Gulbarga.

The second notice was against his statement that he will ‘adopt’ Kadur and develop it as a model constituency if the BJP candidate is elected.

Yeddyurappa has denied any violation of code conduct.