Belagavi: The Election Commission may be keeping an eagle eye on the campaigning in Karnataka to stop candidates from buying voters through gifts and money power, but it appears to have reckoned without the ingenuity of those in the fray in parts of north-Karnataka, where candidates have found a way to slyly distribute money, liquor, and other goodies under its very nose .
Tiny slips of papers are being distributed like coupons among the people in some high-profile constituencies like Badami, Terdal, Bableshwar, Indi and Jam khandi to make sure they get cash, liquor, and other goodies secretly before heading to the polling booths on May 12.
In some constituencies, several motels, hotels and small restaurants and bars, compensated by the candidates, are already accepting the "coupons" to provide people food and liquor free of cost. One voter in Bableshwar said he had "coupons" of different symbols for a free meal and drink. "All I have to do is just hand them over to a particular restaurant and bar to get liquor and food free on behalf of a particular candidate of a major political party,'' he explains.
According to him, candidates from all major political parties have been adopting the new technique to woo voters for the past week and are likely to continue until the day of the elections. ''It's a gala time for many villagers as they get liquor and food besides cash at regular intervals,'' adds a villager.
The stakes are high in many of the constituencies here as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is battling against B Sriramulu of the BJP in Badami, Water Resources Minister M B Patil is up against Mr Vijugouda Patil of the BJP in Bableshwar, and Ms Umashri of the Congress is pitted against BJP's Siddu Savadi in Terdal.
