From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 14: With hardly a week left for the crucial by-elections to the August 21 Bangalore Rural and Mandya Lok Sabha constituencies, the opposition JD(S) has urged the Election Commission of India to appoint observers to each of the assembly segments forming part of the two lok sabha constituencies to prevent misuse of official machinery by the ruling Congress party in Karnataka.

The JD(S) leader and former minister H D Revanna, who addressed a news conference here on Wednesday, alleged that the ruling party and the Congress government was misusing the official machinery to manipulate the electoral process as part of its design to win by hook or crook.

Revanna alleged that the Congress government has been spending huge sums of money to woo voters in two Lok Sabha constituencies and contended that elections would not be held in free and fair manner if the Election Commission did not appoint officials from other states as observers.

Asked about poll alliance with the BJP, the JD(S) leader claimed that his party has not struck any tie-up with the BJP.

In fact, the party has expressed support to the UPA government led by the Congress in Delhi, he asseted.

The party candidates would win on their own on account of popular support in both Mandya and Bangalore rural Lok Sabha constituencies, Revanna said.

In a move to grab two seats held by the JD(S), Revanna claimed that the Congress party started admitting leaders from other political parties.

But the electorate cannot be fooled by the gimmicks of the ruling party in the State, he said and contended that the Old Mysore region was the stronghold of JD(S).

Revanna also warned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to make slanderous remarks against his father and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in the run-up to the campaign.