In a pre-dawn swoop on Thursday, Income Tax officials along with CRPF personnel carried out raids at the residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister C S Puttaraju and his nephew. The raids were also carried out at the residences of PWD Minister H D Revanna's close associates Narayana Reddy, Ashwath Gowda and Raya Gowda in Hassan, sources said. Revanna's son and former PM H D Deve Gowda's grandson Prajjwal is contesting from the Hassan Lok Sabha seat.

Condemning the raids, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy tweeted, "PM @narendramodi's real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harass opponents during election time."