Bengaluru: The BJP Karnataka unit, yesterday, lodged a formal complaint with the State Election Commission, raising serious concerns over alleged vote-buying during the 2018 Badami Assembly elections.

The complaint centres on public statements made by former Minister C.M. Ibrahim, which have been widely circulated in videos and social media.

In his statement, Ibrahim claimed that he and an associate “bought 3,000 votes by building a house and borrowing funds” to ensure the victory of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Badami Constituency.

He further stated that the loan taken for this purpose was repaid six months after the elections.

The BJP argued that if these claims are true, they constitute a violation of Section 123(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with bribery and manipulation of votes and amount to voter fraud.

The BJP also pointed to another alleged violation during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, citing a video of Arasikere MLA Shivalingegowda stating that Rs. 7 crore should be distributed as 500-rupee notes in the Hassan Lok Sabha Constituency.

The party described this as another instance of potential vote-buying and called for immediate legal action against the legislator.

In the complaint, BJP leaders, stressed that such statements, if unaddressed, undermine public trust in the electoral system and compromise the impartiality of the Election Commission.

They demanded that C.M. Ibrahim provide all relevant documents and evidence to the Election Commission.