DMK claims 30 EVMs for bypoll in Tamil Nadu shifted suddenly
Chennai, Oct 13: The DMK on Sunday alleged 30 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) meant for the October 21 Nanguneri Assembly by-poll in Tamil Nadu have been "suddenly shifted" for "unknown reasons."
DMK Organisation Secretary and party's Rajya Sabha member R S Bharathi wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo seeking an enquiry into the matter.
He urged the EC that the EVMs be restored back to their original place and be kept under adequate protection without giving room "for any suspicious activities.
According to information from the chief agent of Congress candidate Ruby R Manoharan, "30 EVMs which were kept for bye-election at Nanguneri Taluk Office are suddenly shifted to Tirunelveli Collectorate for unknown reasons during the mid-night of October 12," Bharathi said in his letter.
DMK's ally Congress is contesting the by-poll, necessitated due to the resignation of sitting MLA H Vasantha Kumar (Congress) following his election to the Lok Sabha from Kanyakumari in April this year.
Bharathi said there was no intimation given by any official before shifting of the EVMs, "which is totally in violation of the mandatory instructions issued" by the EC in this connection.
"Such shifting of EVMs without any intimation to political parties raises suspicion over the activities of the officials. Such practice shall be deprecated to ensure free and fair election," he said.
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Bypoll results will decide the future of Congress in Karnataka: BJP leader Ashoka
Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the results of the bypolls in Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies will decide the future of the ruling Congress in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies respectively.
The ruling Congress has fielded Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson and Karnataka Minister S S Mallikarjun’s son Samarth Shamanur in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote, who are locked in a direct contest with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
According to Ashoka, there is a contest between the poor and the rich in the upcoming bypolls, scheduled on April 9.
"The Congress will lose this election, and the future of the state will be decided. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said ‘Make the poor win’, the BJP has fielded poor candidates,” the BJP leader said in a press conference.
In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkote, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate, he claimed.
According to him, the Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.
The LoP said if the Congress candidate wins in Davanagere, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party.
He also charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about uniting backward classes, has not given a ticket to backward class candidates.
