Governor permission to prosecute CM is 'unconstitutional', 'undemocratic': Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 17: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday called as 'unconstitutional' and 'undemocratic' the permission granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alternative site scam in Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
He asserted that the entire government is standing solidly by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and he will continue to hold the post.
“The Governor has sent an unconstitutional and anti-democratic letter (to the Chief Minister) through his secretary,” Shivakumar said addressing a press conference here.
The Deputy CM was referring to the letter sent to Siddaramaiah and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh informing them that permission has been granted to prosecute the Chief Minister.
“The entire state, the Congress party be it legislators or cabinet stand behind Siddaramaiah. He is my CM, he will be the CM. We stand solidly behind him. The party will also have a proper programme to support his case. There is no case. They have made a case without a case,” Shivakumar said.
“We will fight it within the legal framework and in a legitimate manner. Besides this, our government is committed to fight it politically by going to the people, explaining to the people and with the support of people.”
In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.
The opposition cried foul and three activists lodged a complaint with Gehlot, accusing the CM of 'misusing' his position.
Siddaramaiah has rejected the allegations and asserted that his wife deserved a fair compensation. He also called it a conspiracy against him to destabilise the Congress government by unseating him.
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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.
