BJP high command targeting me, with JD(S) they want to destabilise Cong govt: CM Siddaramaiah
Hubballi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday accused the opposition BJP and its alliance partner JD(S) of trying to 'destabilise' the Congress government in the state, while clarifying that he has done nothing wrong to resign, in connection with the MUDA 'scam'.
Also alleging that the saffron party was still attempting "Operation Kamala" to bring down his government, he affirmed that they won't be successful in their attempts.
"Why are they asking for my resignation? Can it be given as soon as they ask? Just because Vijayendra (BJP state President) asks for resignation, can it be given? Then I will ask Vijayendra to resign as president of his party, will he give in?" Siddaramaiah asked in response to a question on BJP demanding his resignation in connection with the MUDA scam.
Addressing reporters here, the CM said, "Argument will go on (in the court) tomorrow, let's see what the High Court decides. I have not done anything wrong."
He was replying to a query on the court hearing regarding his petition challenging the Governor's sanction for prosecution against him
Charging the BJP high command with "targeting" him, he said, "BJP and JD(S) together are trying to destabilise our government."
The BJP has been demanding Siddaramaiah's resignation in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam'.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on August 16 accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of activists Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the Karnataka HC challenging the legality of the Governor's order.
Siddaramaiah noted that all Congress legislators and parliamentarians will meet the Governor tomorrow asking him to act on pending requests seeking sanction for prosecution against JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and also against former BJP Ministers -- Shashikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani, G Janardhan Reddy.
"They are pending for a long time now, we will seek prosecution sanctions against them. Because in all those cases the probe is over and filing of charge sheet is pending. In my case investigation has not yet happened, there is no report," he said.
To another question on Congress MLA from Mandya Ravikumar Gowda's (Ravi Ganiga) claims that attempts were on by BJP to entice Congress legislators, by offering Rs 100 crore, as part of 'Operation Kamala', the CM said, "Ravi Ganiga has said it, he has told us it is true."
The opposition party never came to power in the state with the blessings of the people, they have always depended on "Operation Kamal", whether it is in 2008 or 2019, he said.
"They always depended on Operation Kamala to come to power, when have they come to power on their own with majority? They have always come to power through the back door. Even now they are trying, but we (Congress) are 136 (MLAs), it is not easy, because they will have to ensure the resignation of about 60 MLAs (to be successful). None of our MLAs will fall for the desire of money," he added.
'Operation Kamala' (Operation Lotus) refers to an alleged attempt of the BJP to engineer defection of opposition legislators to install its own government and to ensure its stability.
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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.
