Would have won Hangal for BJP had CM Bommai deputed me earlier: Minister V Somanna
Bengaluru, Nov 10: With the ruling BJP's defeat in Hangal Assembly constituency in the recently held bypoll seen as a "setback" to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, a senior Minister in his Cabinet on Wednesday claimed that the party would have won the seat with a big margin if only Bommai had sent him there in advance.
"You (some in the media) said we (BJP) will lose both seats (Hangal and Sindgi), I want to say that if the Chief Minister had sent me to Hangal three day before, we would have won by a lead of 10,000 (votes)," Housing Minister V Somanna told reporters here.
Asked whether he was upset over not having made in-charge of Hangal bypoll or those who were in-charge of the segment had not manage things well, he said, "We have to bow to the mandate of the people, we have accepted and done that."
Meanwhile, a video surfaced in which Somanna and senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal can be seen discussing, after a press conference, about the loss in Hangal, and expressing displeasure.
In the conversation telecast on Kannada news channels, Yatnal says: You should've been deputed in Hangal (as in-charge)"; Somanna replies: "Both of us were enough..."
Both leaders then lament about the loss.
While Ministers Murugesh Nirani, J C Madhuswamy, B C Patil, Shivaram Hebbar, Member of Parliament Shivakumar Udasi, and party's State vice-president B Y Vijayendra were among the 13 in-charge of Hangal bypolls, Somanna was among those in-charge of Sindgi, where the party won.
In what is being seen as a bittersweet result for the ruling BJP in Karnataka, the saffron party won the Sindgi Assembly segment but lost the Hangal seat to Congress.
Congress's Srinivas Mane won Hangal by a margin of 7,373 votes. He secured 87,490 votes while his closest rival Shivaraj Sajjanar of the BJP got 80,117. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of BJP MLA C M Udasi.
The BJP's loss in Hangal was seen as a "setback" to Chief Minister Bommai personally, as it is the neighbouring constituency to his Shiggaon Assembly segment in Haveri district, where he had extensively campaigned, and his personal relationship with the segment as his wife and a few other family members hail from there.
This was also the first major electoral challenge for Bommai after taking charge as Chief Minister in July this year.
Bommai, soon after the poll results on November 2, had said that he has taken this election setback very seriously and will do all the corrections. The two bypolls were held on October 30.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
