Ex-Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar elected as new Kerala BJP president
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar was elected as the new president of Kerala state unit of the BJP on Monday.
The party's central observer Prahlad Joshi made the announcement during the BJP's state council meeting held here.
Chandrasekhar was the sole nominee for the top post and the leader filed two sets of nomination papers for the position at the BJP headquarters here on Sunday.
During the time of the announcement, all prominent state leaders of the BJP including outgoing president K Surendran and state in charge Prakash Javadekar, were present.
Surendran handed over the party flag to Chandrasekhar on the stage.
During his address, Surendran said the BJP has witnessed unprecedented growth in Kerala in the past 10 years.
Stating that Chandrasekhar was elected to the top post by all party leaders unanimously, he said the leader's experience and expertise in various sectors would accelerate the growth of the BJP in the state.
The former president also rejected criticism from some quarters that Chandrasekhar is not a regular politician and said he could shine in his new role.
At 60, Chandrasekhar brings two decades of political experience to the role. He has served as a Union Minister of State for the departments of Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti.
He served as Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka for three terms and as the BJP's national spokesperson. He is the vice-chairman of the NDA's Kerala unit.
A familiar face in Kerala, Chandrasekhar contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram as the NDA candidate but lost to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor by 16,077 votes.
Born to Keralite parents in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Chandrasekhar has family roots in Thrissur.
His father-in-law is TPG Nambiar, the founder of the BPL Group.
The election was held as K Surendran completes his five-year term as state president.
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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.
