BJP to stage statewide protests demanding CM Siddaramaiah's resignation: Sunil Kumar
Bengaluru: BJP State General Secretary V. Sunil Kumar has announced that the BJP will stage protests in all district headquarters of Karnataka on August 22 to condemn the Congress's alleged insult to the Governor and demand the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. According to the announcement, the protests will take place across the state, including in Bengaluru, with participation from state core committee members, local MPs, MLAs, former ministers, and other party representatives.
Sunil Kumar criticized the Congress for disrespecting the Governor, noting that in some instances, the Governor's portrait was burnt during Congress protests. He specifically called out Congress leaders, including Minister Zameer Ahmed, Krishna Byre Gowda, and Legislative Council Member Ivan D'Souza, for making inflammatory statements against the Governor. Kumar urged the police to take legal action against Congress members for inciting violence.
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The BJP has planned for various leaders to lead the protests in different districts: Tumkur (D.V. Sadananda Gowda), Davangere (Basavaraja Bommai), Chitradurga (Govinda Karajola), Mandya (R. Ashoka), Bengaluru (Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayana and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy), Ballari (B. Sreeramulu), Chikkamagaluru (C.T. Ravi), and Mangaluru (Nalin Kumar Kateel).
In response, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar dismissed the BJP's protests as an attempt to address their internal issues, asserting that there is no substance to their grievances. He reiterated that the Congress has already provided explanations regarding the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) allegations and questioned the necessity of the BJP's protest.
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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.
