I get more 'josh' during political battles, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Aug 19: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said his energy gets pumped up during political battles as he appeared unfazed by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's order giving sanction for investigation against him in connection with irregularities in the allotment of alternative sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
"My conscience is very clear," declared Siddaramaiah, hours after filing a writ petition in the High Court challenging the order, adding, Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi would argue his case in the HC.
"I have faith in judiciary. I have total confidence of getting relief from court because I have not committed any wrong," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
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The Chief Minister recalled that he first became a Minister 40 years ago -- on August 17, 1984 -- and there has not been a "single black spot" in his political career.
"My political life is an open book. I have committed no wrong, will not commit any wrong. Using Raj Bhavan, BJP and JD(S) have hatched a conspiracy. to tarnish my image," Siddaramaiah said.
Terming the order "politically motivated", he said he would counter it politically and legally.
"We will wage a legal fight also, we will wage a political fight also. I get more 'josh' (enthusiasm, passion) during political fights. I have been doing it continuously. I have done it before, doing now and will do in future," the Chief Minister said.
To a question, Siddaramaiah said the opposition in the State is under an illusion that if he is finished politically, the entire Congress will also "get finished". "It (their game plan) will not be realised."
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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.
