Yamini C S | Edited by Aniruddha Dhar
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city’s civic body, has started a new door-to-door campaign to maximise voter turnout in the Karnata assembly election to be held next year. The move comes after a similar survey was conducted by an NGO in mid-November. The NGO has been accused of collecting personal information from the public, under the guise of spreading awareness, by impersonating BBMP officials. The Congress has alleged that this was done in connivance with the ruling BJP government. The BJP has, however, denied the allegations.
READ | Bengaluru NGO accused of stealing voters info, BBMP cancels permissions
The fresh survey to be conducted by the BBMP aims to ensure maximum voter turnout, the Deccan Herald reported. Nearly 60 per cent of the houses across all 28 constituencies have been surveyed so far, it added.
The previous survey was facilitated by a BBMP order which permitted the NGO, Chilume, to go door-to-door and “spread awareness” on how to apply for a Voters ID online. However, it later came to be known that the NGO members posed as government officials and obtained private information – from caste to marital status – of thousands of voters in Bengaluru.
This triggered a major political slugfest in the poll-bound state. A few officers from the revenue department told the publication that residents were not supportive of their latest initiative after the previous survey conducted by the NGO stole sensitive information from them.
READ | In voter data theft case, EC suspends two poll officials in Karnataka: Report
Officials and representatives of the main political parties in the state are also set to have a meeting to discuss their grievances regarding the number of additions and deletions made in the electoral rolls of the assembly seat in Mahadevapura constituency since the start of the year. The two other assembly seats under the BBMP limits are Shivajinagar and Chickpet.
