MANGALORE: The BharatiyaJanata Party has decided to throw a legal spanner in Congress Mangalore City South nominee JR Lobo’s election wheels. Contending that Lobo, former commissioner, Mangalore City Corporation, had suppressed facts in his affidavit filed before K SrikanthRao, returning officer, pertaining to a case filed against him by N R Rai of Bangalore before the Karnataka Lokayukta, the part has decided to approach the local courts seeking legal remedy.

When Srikanth Rao, joint commissioner, Mangalore City Corporation, pleaded his inability to decide on the veracity of the affidavit filed by Lobo as he was a quasi judicial authority and the matter could be decided only by a competent court, BJP decided to take up the offer.

“I have upheld the nomination papers filed by Lobo overlooking objections of BJP on the above ground and BJP can seek legal redressal in a court of law,” Rao said.

Making the party’s decision to file a case before the local JMFC court public, N Yogish Bhat, deputy speaker and BJP nominee for the constituency told reporters that the allegation against Lobo as stated by Rai in his complaint COMPT/Lok/Mys/108/2008 filed on June 23, 2008 pertains to violation of rules.

“Lobo has suppressed this fact in his affidavit, and these details are available on Lokayukta website,” he pointed.

Sudhakar Joshi, convener of BJP’s legal cell, said, “Lobo has concealed this fact and sworn in a false affidavit and filed it with his nomination papers.”

This, Sudhakar said is an offence under section 125A of the Representation of the People’s Act, and section 193 of the Indian Penal Code, which carries punishment of six months in the first instance and up to three years in the second. “We will file a case before the JMFC court shortly,” Sudhakar said.

Mangalore, April 19:  It has been alleged by BJP that JR Lobo-an official candidate from Mangalore south, in the ensuing assembly election has violated poll code of conduct by filing false affidavit.

Addressing the press meet held on April 18, Thursday MLC Capt. Karnik, BJP Candidate yogish Bhat and others claimed that a case was pending against Lobo which he did not disclose at the time of filing his affidavit and nominations.

According to Capt Karnik, somebody called N R Rai from Hunsur had filed a case against Lobo on June 23,2006, when Lobo was the MCC commissioner about the ‘Violation of Rules’,which he did conceal in his affidavit, and matter has been already brought to the notice of the election commissioner, they said.

It has been reported that BJP is contemplating to file a case against Lobo in the local JMFC court on April 18, Thursday evening. Lobo has committed an offence under section 125A of representation of people’s Act and Section 193 of the IPC, they added.

S.Ramesh of MUDA told that filing a false affidavit is crime.

Capt Karnik regretted that the BJP government’s achievements in the past five years had been completely sidelined and congress is making a big mountain out of a molehill by constantly debating on the few distractions within BJP. He cited the remarkable achievements in the education sector to justify that government led by the BJP had been the best ever government.

 JR Lobo files false affidavit; BJP alleges; Lobo clarifies

Capt.Karnik,has said in his speech that congress is jealous and cannot digest of BJP’s achievements because it could not achieve during their whole 65 years of rule, which BJP government did just in five years.

The BJP government in its five year term has achieved a lot in terms of educational reforms and our state has occupied the top most slot as compared to the other states. The government has allotted Rs 18,666 crores to education which is highest ever, he added.

Elaborating further he said, prior to BJP came to power there were only 158 government colleges but now there are 198 new PU colleges. In addition, 600 new high schools, 1200 primary schools have also been set up, he said.

As education is a vital sector, during BJP’s tenure more importance was given to education and the credit of establishing knowledge commission in the state also goes to BJP government, Karnik said.

Besides BJP government has also opened one music university, two agricultural universities, one fishing university and veterinary university and other.

Advocate M P Noronha clarified that the case BJP had referred to was still under scrutiny and the lokayukta has not issued any notice to either to JR Lobo or to the congress party. He further said that no charge sheet has been filed either by police or the Lokayukta in this regard. Decision has to be taken in this regard by election commissioner and not the BJP, he said.

He also said that the returning officer on Thursday rejected BJP’s objection and allowed Lobo to contest.

Anand shetty, Santosh Bejai, Prabhakar shetty and Indira Ravi were present.

JR Lobo’s Clarification: Allegations leveled against me by BJP’s Yogish Bhat,Capt.Ganesh Karnik were all baseless, untrue and beyond somebody’s guess and trying to mislead the electorate.

Refuting all the allegations of BJP he clarified on the issue, Lobo has said that as per the election regulations and rules only those candidates charge sheeted in criminal cases must submit information in the Affidavit while filing nominations.

When there was no charge sheet has been filed against me until now by anyone and there were no cases against me in any court of or Lokayukta, on what ground BJP can accuse me of violating the rules, he questioned.

Besides he also clarified he was commissioner of the MCC only till 2003 and documents produced by BJP shows the date of petition was 2008 regarding the violation of rules, which is contradicting one another.

Lobo further clarified that BJPs false propaganda of this type is just for their publicity and ploy to distract the electorate from the main subject what is supposed to happen at this juncture, he said.

He also stated that the Election officer has rejected the objection filed by the BJP and approved his nomination.