Will enquire into CM's promise to build new sugar factory in

Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar Thursday said the Election Commission would initiate an inquiry to find out whether Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy violated the poll code of conduct by reportedly promising to set up a new sugar factory in Mandya. "This has not come to the notice of the Election Commission.. If he has mentioned it then it is a clear violation of the Code of Conduct.. We will initiate an enquiry into it," he told reporters here.

Addressing a public rally earlier in the day, Kumaraswamy said his government would set up a new sugar factory in Mandya, where his actor-son Nikhil is contesting the Lok Sabha election as the JD(S) candidate. On BJP's memorandum on large scale discrepancies in voters' list, Kumar assured that he would look into the issue.

BJP General Secretary and MLA C T Ravi had on March 12 submitted a memorandum to Kumar complaining of officers indulging in corrupt practices by deleting 100 to 200 names from apartments, especially in Bengaluru. On the seizures made during assembly elections in 2018, Kumar said cash to the tune of Rs 92.8916 crore was confiscated.

Of this, a sum of Rs 35.16 crores had been released after it was found the money was not meant for electoral malpractice, he said. Another Rs 42.40 crore is with the Income Tax department under various proceedings, Kumar added.

To queries on conducting marriages, and private functions, the CEO said there would be no necessity to obtain permission from the Election Commission for organising such functions. On the limit for carrying cash, Kumar said public were not required to carry documents for cash below Rs 50,000..