Shivakumar hits out at BJP, rejects 'misleading images' on Voter Adhikar Yatra
Bengaluru, Aug 24 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday rejected "false and misleading" social media claims that he was made to stand outside a jeep during the Congress-led Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, accusing BJP-linked handles of running a "smear campaign".
In a post on 'X', Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, said the image being circulated was taken before he joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the jeep that led the yatra to the Circuit House in Purnia.
"It's unfortunate (but not surprising) to see BJP-affiliated handles obsess over photo angles, seating arrangements, and who greeted whom-instead of addressing the real issue: vote chori," he wrote.
Shivakumar, who participated in the yatra on Sunday, also asserted that Congress is committed to protecting Kannada pride and fostering harmony.
"Kannadada kattaalu sididedre, kaligoonu kedabahudu kadu niddire (if guardians of Kannada rise in anger, even the arrogant may lose their sleep)," he said in a veiled warning.
The Voter Adhikar Yatra, led by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, is aimed at highlighting what the Congress calls the BJP's attempts to subvert democracy and 'steal mandates' through electoral malpractices.
Shivakumar quipped that instead of "spending all their energy on photo manipulation," the BJP should spend "even 10% of that energy talking about stolen mandates."
"We at the Congress Party, believe in Mohabbat Ki Dukaan. You should drop by sometime - it might just change you," the Deputy CM said in his post.
Earlier in the day, Shivakumar held discussions with Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on the sidelines of the programme, his office said in a statement.
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BJP's Pravesh Wahi elected MCD mayor
New Delhi (PTI): BJP councillor from Rohini East, Pravesh Wahi, was elected mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday.
Wahi secured 156 votes, with 14 councillors of the Indraprastha Vikas Party backing him. Congress candidate Hazi Zaraf received nine votes.
BJP councillor from Anand Vihar, Monika Pant, was elected deputy mayor with 156 votes.
Jai Bhagwan Yadav from Begumpur and Manish Chadha from Paharganj were elected to the standing committee from the BJP, while AAP councillor Jalaj Chaudhary from Shalimar Bagh was also elected to the MCD panel.
On being elected mayor, Wahi thanked Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the BJP leadership, saying, "We will clean Delhi in the coming months. We will work for the development of Delhi."
The electoral college for this year's mayoral election comprised 273 votes, including 249 councillors, 14 MLAs nominated by the Delhi Assembly, seven Lok Sabha MPs and three Rajya Sabha members from Delhi. A candidate required 137 votes to win.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) abstained from the mayoral polls. Earlier, the party's Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a statement that the move would allow the BJP to take charge of the civic body and help AAP "expose" the ruling party on governance.
"Despite having power at all levels, the BJP has failed to bring about any change in Delhi. The BJP does not know how to perform. Only AAP knows how to work," Bharadwaj said.
Earlier, AAP controlled the mayoral post, with Mahesh Kumar Khinchi winning the election in November 2024 by just three votes.
The three civic bodies -- East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) -- were reunified into a single entity on May 22, 2022, as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
