LS poll under collective leadership: Deve Gowda
“No objection over Rahul Gandhi’s ambition to become PM
Hubballi, July 15: Saying that the Lok Sabha election would be faced under collective leadership, JDS supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda said that the Third Front was not yet formed and he would not lead it.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, the former PM said that all leaders of the Third Front were present during the swearing in ceremony of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar. But till now, the Third Front had no clarity. In each state, the regional parties have their own positives and negatives and in some states, national parties have strong base. In the threshold of Lok Sabha elections, there might be alliance with some political parties in some states. This alliance could also be happened post-election. But it would depend upon the demands of the circumstances, he analysed.
“In Tamil Nadu, there are several groups and it would be difficult to understand their strength. There is no clarity on the political parties which go with the Congress against BJP. But I would not say that all the 29 leaders of various parties who came to Bengaluru, would come together. But they created a history by coming under one roof while the JDS-Congress coalition government was forming. My fight is limited to protect the JDS in the national politics. I would not go to take up the leadership against BJP. I have the seniority. But I also know the strength of my party”, he said.
“I will not object for Rahul’s leadership”
“I’ll not have any objection for the leadership of AICC president Rahul Gandhi and his ambition to become the Prime Minister. The Congress would decide on making Mallikarjuna Kharge as the PM. We are concerned with the number of seats in the Lok Sabha election. JDS-Congress alliance should also be discussed and finalized”.
- HD Deve Gowda, JDS Supremo
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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.
