Altercation erupts over temple trustee election in Kundapur: Complaints filed
Kundapur: In a recent development surrounding the election of the third trustee of Shri Kalikamba Temple in Barkur, Kundapur, the Kundapur Rural Police Station received both a complaint of physical attack and a counter-complaint of a death threat.
The incident took place during the temple trustee election held on December 25. Ratish (37) from Koteshwara allegedly confronted Krishnayya during a meeting related to the election. Ratish accused Krishnayya of attending the meeting to support a candidate in exchange for Rs 500.
Following the meeting, Ratish contacted Krishnayya's son, Sharath, over the phone. However, the conversation escalated into verbal abuse from Sharath's end. Later, at 'Archana Bar', Sharath reportedly attacked Ratish with a razor, causing an injury to his hand.
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In response, Ratish filed a complaint with the Kundapur Rural Police, alleging physical assault and injury by Sharath.
In a counter-complaint, the police were informed that Sridhar (41) from Gopadi village had attended the trustee election meeting in the company of his uncle Krishnayya. On their way back, Ratish allegedly verbally abused Krishnayya over the phone, instructing him to meet near 'Archana Bar.' Accompanied by Sridhar and Sharath, Krishnayya confronted Ratish outside the bar, leading to an altercation.
During the incident, Ratish reportedly attacked Krishnayya, and when Sridhar intervened, Ratish's companion, Raghavendra Jadu, allegedly attempted to injure Krishnayya with a stone. In the scuffle, Jadu hit Sridhar in the chest with the stone and issued a death threat.
The Kundapur Rural Police registered cases and counter-cases related to the incidents, and an investigation is currently underway.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
