BBMP polls: Cash, sarees doled out to voters in Siddapura

Bengaluru: This year there may have been no reports of police seizing any cash or liquor, but many candidates in the fray have already prepared the ground to woo voters for BBMP elections. In some wards, ‘regular’ incentives like cash, alcohol and sarees have already been distributed, to lure voters.

In Siddapura ward, for instance, each eligible voter has received Rs 250, while women have been gifted with sarees. Sunetra (name changed), a resident of Guttepalya in Siddapura, said that Congress workers doled out cash.

“We get cash in every election and in the last MP elections too, all the major political parties had given us money. This time, however, only Congress workers gave out money, sometime in the first week of August. Every voter with an ID card got Rs 250 per head. We are only two adults in my family and we were given Rs 500. My brother’s family, which has three adults, got Rs 750 and two sarees,” she said.

Voters in Ejipura ward have so far not received anything, but are confident that like in every election, on the night before polling day, there will be a free flow of alcohol and even some money. Muniyappa, a resident of Rajendra Block, said that political parties never missed an opportunity to ‘treat’ these voters.

“We have been loyal voters of Congress, as our MLA Ramalinga Reddy has worked for our welfare. Though we do not vote for cash, we do get some money on the eve of the elections. And alcohol for men is never missed,” he said.

Parvathi S, resident of JP Nagar, said that party campaigners too are getting fistfuls of money and are fed twice a day until elections are over. Each supporter will make up to Rs 10,000 in one week’s time, she added.

According to former corporator N.R Ramesh, illegal immigrants and urban poor in the peripheral areas of K.R Puram constituency earn up to Rs 500 if they have a voter’s ID. “The Congress buys votes for cash,” he alleged.