Cash and liquor flow hours ahead of 1st phase of Karnataka Lok Sabha polls

BENGALURU: Even before public campaigning for the first phase of

Lok Sabha polls

in the state ended on Tuesday, candidates of major political parties began using arguably their most potent weapons in their arsenal to lure voters —

cash and liquor

.


It is said money and liquor are expected to be a “crucial factors” in deciding the political fortunes of some candidates who are locked in a close contest. And both inducements are expected to flow despite officials of the Election Commission (EC) and income tax department putting in place enforcement measures and conducting a series of raids on contractors and moneybags.

Sources in parties say each candidate of a major political party would end up spending Rs 5 to Rs 10 crore per seat on the eve of polls to buy last-minute ‘saleable voters’. These voters largely reside in villages, slums and ‘colony settlements’ amid affluent metropolita or urban elites.

In Mandya sources said parties are offering Rs 5,000 for a family of three voters along with “a kilo of chicken” with a small bottle of liquor, an item that which is most sought after in villages. The coastal seats of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, which has sizeable populations of en and tribal folk, are being lured with cash of Rs 500 and iquor.

In other seats including the three urban constituencies of Bengaluru and Mysuru-Kodagu, the standard payment is Rs 2,000 per person and it is topped up by a food packet or liquor. Earlier, liquor and sarees were the two standard forms of voting-eve bribery.

Besides, party leaders and candidates are using unique methods to bribe voters. There have been reports of candidates in Bengaluru luring voters by transferring cash to wallets like Gpay, PhonePe and Paytm. Some are even giving chits akin to promissory notes which voters can exchange for cash if they show it to a cashier of a particular hotel or provision store. Some candidates have been buying EPIC cards from voters who they think will not vote for them.

To avoid seizures, followers of political and blocklevel leaders are carrying cash below Rs 50,000 as per EC rules and handing it over at a distribution network point. With illegal money flow breaking records with every election, the EC is preparing to launch a series of strong counter measures with multiple agencies in the next 48 hours.