Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar in Delhi to discuss MUDA 'scam' with Congress high command
New Delhi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar arrived in the national capital on Friday for crucial meetings with top Congress leaders.
Sources indicate that the primary focus of these discussions will be to formulate a strategy ahead of next week's high court hearing on the controversial Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) 'scam' case.
The MUDA 'scam' has been a thorn in Siddaramaiah's side, with allegations of illegal land dealings involving the chief minister and his wife Parvathi flying thick and fast. At the heart of the controversy are claims that Parvathi received 14 plots in exchange for 3.16 acres of land, which was allegedly acquired illegally by MUDA.
Adding to political pressure, Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot has recently sanctioned investigations under the Prevention of Corruption Act, intensifying scrutiny of the chief minister.
Sources privy to the matter suggest that the Delhi meetings will also address pending corruption cases against the state BJP leaders. The Congress leadership is expected to devise a counter strategy to exert pressure on the governor.
Accompanying Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are several key state ministers, including Home Minister G Parameshwar, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa and Minority and Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, MLC K Govindaraju and Power Minister K J George.
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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.
