CM Kumaraswamy voices concern over vulnerability of EVMs
Bengaluru: With most exit polls forecasting another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP almost sweeping Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy Monday expressed concerns over the vulnerability of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Hitting out at the pollsters, the chief minister in a series of tweets alleged that the "artificially engineered" or "manufactured" Modi wave is being used by the BJP to lure regional parties well in advance to fill any shortfall after the results on May 23.
"Entire Opposition political parties had expressed concern over credibility of EVMs under PM @narendramodi's rule. Opposition parties even knocked the doors of the Supreme Court asking for a traditional ballot paper electionsto avoid defective EVMs that are vulnerable to fraud," Kumaraswamy said.
"World wide, even developed countries have opted for traditional polls through paper ballets. The exit poll surveys on May 19 only reiterated the serious concern of the Opposition parties on misuse of vulnerable EVMs for electoral gains by the ruling party," he said in another tweet.
Stating that exit polls were being used to create an impression that "there is still a Modi wave" in the country, Kumaraswamy said, "This artificially engineered or manufactured Modi wave is being used by the BJP to lure regional parties well in advance to fill any shortfall after the results on May 23."
"The entire exit poll exercise was an effort to create false impression of a wave in favour of one particular leader and the party. As they say, it is just an exit poll, not exact poll," he added.
Most exit polls on Sunday predicted that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party led National Democratic Alliance will comfortably cross the halfway mark of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha. Some even projected that the NDA will get more than 300 seats.
Forecasting a big BJP win in Karnataka, the pollsters claimed that the saffron party was likely to win over 21 of the total 28 seats. In the 2014 general election, the BJP had won 17 seats while the Congress and the JD(S) had bagged 9 and 2 seats each respectively.
However, in the bypolls held in November last year the BJP had lost the Ballari seat to the Congress.
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara too raised doubts over the EVMs, saying that the BJP had sponsored the exit polls as the ground reality was different.
He also noted that the United Progressive Alliance will come to power at the Centre this time.
Rajya Sabha member B K Hariprasad said the exit polls were the reflection of the wishes of news channels where Modi wave is prevalent.
"Most of the exit polls are the reflection of the wishes of news channels. There is a Modi wave in the news channels but the actual result will be out when the (ballot) boxes are opened," Hariprasad told reporters.
"They have shown BJP losing 40 to 45 seats in Uttar Pradesh. In rest of the places, these channels tried to fill the void. Exit polls are not exact polls. We will get exact poll when the counting happens," he added.
However, Karnataka BJP president B S Yeddyurappa said people of the country as well as Karnataka have supported Modi and the exit polls giving 22 seats to the saffron party in the state was a proof of that.
Stressing that many tall leaders of Congress-JD(S) will lose, he said, "Let's see what will happen after May 23, fighting is on between Congress and JD(S) already, let's see where it will reach."
The Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders questioning the EVMs shows their desperation, he added.
Speculation is rife in the political circles that any adverse results for Congress-JD(S) alliance in the polls will have its implications on the longevity of the Kumaraswamy-led government in Karnataka.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
