Congress asks EC to disqualify BJP’s B Sriramulu

Bengaluru: BJP candidate from Molakalmuru B Sriramulu (left) with Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP Karnataka CM face BS Yeddyurappa and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy campaigning on April 21

Citing emergence of “grave corrupt practices including bribery of a judge” by BJP candidate B Sriramulu “in a sting revealed by Kannada media”, Congress asked EC to disqualify him, a day before voting

The Congress today petitioned the Election Commission demanding that BJP’s Molakalmuru and Badami candidate B Sriramulu be disqualified from contesting the Karnataka assembly elections, over a sting video allegedly showing him trying to a bribe a former chief justice of India’s relative.

“We have requested the Election Commission to disqualify B Sriramulu from contesting the election,” senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters after meeting the poll panel on Friday. Yesterday, the Congress released two videos, dating back to 2010, allegedly showing BJP leaders B Sriramulu and G Janardhana Reddy negotiating a bribe to a relative of a former chief justice of India to influence a verdict in a mining case.

The videos also appeared on a local channel in Karnataka. Later, state electoral authorities directed channels not to air the videos.