BJP, Sriramulu file complaints with EC

BANGALORE: The fight between the ruling BJP and Independent candidate B Sriramulu intensified on Sunday with both groups filing complaints against each other with the Election Commission (EC).While BJP has filed a complaint seeking transfer of Bellary Tahsildar Shashidhar Bagali accusing him of working in favour of Sriramulu, the latter’s group has managed to ensure state BJP president K S Eshwarappa got a notice from the EC for violating poll code by using  the temple premises for campaigning.In its complaint the BJP has pointed out that Bagali was a classmate of Bellary city MLA Somashekhar Reddy and also a former employee of Ennoble India, a company owned by the Bellary Reddy brothers. “Bagali should not only be transferred, but must be kept out of any election-related responsibilities,” the BJP demanded in its complaint.With ten more days left for voting, many more complaints and counter-complaints by both groups are likely to be witnessed.Meanwhile, the BJP, which has been successful in luring BJP MLAs Anand Singh and Somalingappa (who are known followers of the Bellary Reddys) back into the party fold, has now set its eyes on JD(S) leader Suryanarayan Reddy and Congress leader Diwakar Babu with a hope to thwart Sriramulu’s chances.By luring Reddy, the BJP wants to nullify the effect of JD(S)’ tacit support to Sriramulu as the former represented the earlier Kurugodu constituency, which was reconstituted as Bellary Rural constituency in the delimitation. At the same time, BJP wants to enhance its chance by weakening Congress by winning over Babu.However, the BJP’s efforts have so far not yielded any desired result as both the leaders are not showing any interest. “It is all a ploy by the ruling BJP to create confusion among people ahead of the elections,” opined Reddy and Babu on Sunday.“It is a fabricated and malicious campaign launched by vested interests. I will never ever leave the Congress,” Babu told Express, while stating that he would hit the campaign trial for the Congress candidate in a day or two.On his part Suryanarayan Reddy parroted the same lines saying: “I am a committed party worker and there is no question of leaving the JD(S). I will abide by whatever the party decides.”To a question whether he would support Sriramulu, Reddy said that the party had not taken any decision on that front yet.