Cong MLA Jignesh Mevani suspended for creating ruckus in Guj Assembly
Gandhinagar, Mar 10 (PTI): Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani was suspended from the Gujarat assembly for a day on Monday for creating a ruckus in the well of the House following which he was evicted by marshals.
The drama unfolded after Mevani alleged financial irregularities by some district collectors during the Lok Sabha elections held last year in Gujarat.
Mevani said these irregularities had created an additional burden of Rs 121 crore on the Gujarat government because some officials had spent excessive funds and submitted highly inflated bills for products and services they used during the 2024 general elections.
Responding to Mevani's allegations, Parliamentary and Legislative Affairs Minister Rushikesh Patel said Lok Sabha elections were conducted by the Election Commission and the state government had no role in appointing or supervising officials.
Speaking on the budgetary allocations for the General Administration Department, Mevani said the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gujarat, had issued a notice to collectors of five districts, telling them that the expenses they incurred during Lok Sabha elections were "not convincing".
These notices were issued to the then collectors of Porbandar, Jamnagar, Dahod, Bharuch and Gir Somnath districts.
Mevani said the then district collector (cum Returning Officer) of Porbandar floated a tender of Rs 20 lakh for erecting a temporary canopy outside polling booths.
"The appointed agency, however, submitted a bill of Rs 2.56 crore after finishing the work. The collector even agreed to approve that bill," he claimed.
According to Mevani, when a query was raised from Gandhinagar, the agency reduced the bill amount to Rs 57 lakh, nearly three times the tender amount. "Yet, the collector was ready to pay," he added.
Mevani claimed he possessed related documents and alleged that officials engaged in the election ate dry fruits of Rs 16,000 in a few days and that bill was also sent for approval by the collector.
"Officials ate chicken of Rs 30,000 and the Porbandar collector added the salary of a restaurant's cook to that bill. For a siren to be mounted on a vehicle, which is available in the market for Rs 6,000, a bill of Rs 60,000 was submitted," alleged Mevani.
He said an election official in Jamnagar submitted a bill claiming that nearly 90 litres of fuel was used in his vehicle in a single day in an assembly seat.
Mevani wondered if the official travelled 900 kilometres in a day inside the Kalavad assembly seat in Jamnagar.
"The state government must take note of this issue and ensure that no bill is approved without scrutiny. An FIR should be lodged against these officials for submitting fabricated bills and wasting taxpayers' money," said Mevani, who represents the Vadgam seat in Banaskantha.
As Mevani made these claims, minister Rushikesh Patel urged Deputy Speaker Jethabhai Bharwad, who was in the chair, to expunge Mevani's remarks on the elections.
Bharwad, however, didn't give any ruling immediately.
Enraged by Patel's comments, Mevani rushed to the well of the House and launched a sit-in protest, demanding the government's response to his allegations.
As Mevani didn't return to his seat despite repeated requests, the deputy Speaker suspended him for a day and ordered marshals to take Mevani out. Following the ruling, marshals evicted the Congress MLA from the House.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
