Bengaluru, 12 Aug

Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya has written to the Election Commission of India on claims made by former Union minister CM Ibrahim’s claim that he “purchased” 3,000 votes in the Badami in to help Chief Minister Siddaramaiah win the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.

“Ibrahim, a former union minister and one of Siddaramaiah’s closest associates and advisors for decades, has made a shocking revelation. He has said that he, along with senior Congress leader BB Chimmanakatti, helped purchase 3,000 votes in 2018 so that Siddaramaiah could scrape through the Assembly election from the Badami seat,” Singh wrote in a letter to the ECI in Delhi. “In the final count, Siddaramaiah’s victory margin in Badami was a mere 1,696 votes. It was a humiliating margin for a sitting Chief Minister. The NOTA votes (2,007) were higher than his victory margin.”

“Ibrahim will do us a great favour if he tells us how, and from whom, he purchased the 3,000 votes to save his friend. He has also said that Siddaramaiah had paid for this purchase, but took six months to make the payment,” he added.

Singh attached the contents of one of Ibrahim’s speeches to the letter. “A recording of his speech contains a specific claim regarding the purchase of votes…. With direct reference to the involvement of senior political figures. The allegations, if true, indicate a serious violation of electoral laws and a matter of urgent public importance.”

Singh added that BJP leader B Sriramulu, who lost the election to Siddaramaiah, should also speak about the issue.

On Saturday, in a response to Ibrahim’s remarks, Siddaramaiah had said he visited Badami only twice during the 2018 Assembly polls, and was “not aware” of matters on the ground.

The letter comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed there was a “vote chori” in the City.

“Gandhi has opened a can of worms,” Singh said. “His party colleagues, including his CM, are more affected than anybody else.”