Bengaluru: An official letter from the Mandya superintendent of police to officials at Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company Limited (CESC) to ensure uninterrupted power supply during a JD(S) public meeting, has kicked up a political row.
The letter, a copy of which is with Deccan Chronicle, was written by the Mandya top cop to the executive engineer of CESC on Saturday last, asking them to ensure that there is no power cut in the city on March 25 as Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy would be present in connection with the filing of nomination papers by his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy. Going a step further, the SP directed the CESC authorities to keep a generator as a standby, in case of power interruption.
This letter has become a topic of discussion with questions being raised about alleged misuse of power by the ruling party. The BJP leaders contended that it was not the duty of the SP to issue such a direction to the CESC authorities as the CM does not have any special powers after the poll code comes into effect.
Independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh who has the backing of the BJP, said the ruling JD(S) had cut power supply in the entire district and had disconnected cable TV on March 20 when she held a public rally in Mandya after filing her nomination papers. The district administration seems to be indirectly supporting the party in power and this has been brought to the notice of the election commission, she said.
Denying any instructions to the district SP, Chief Minister H.D. Kumara swamy said he would be the last person to misuse his office. Reacting to Suma latha's charges, the CM said he would not indulge in such cheap tricks adding that she was making wild allegations to win people's sympathy.
