BJP receives shot in the arm in municipal polls in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Oct 31: The ruling BJP in poll-bound Karnataka received a shot in the arm as the party won 17 out of 35 seats in the Vijayapura municipal elections and emerged as the single largest party.
The party also performed well in the Kollegal city municipal council bypoll by winning six out of seven seats.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai congratulated Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and party workers for achieving an "unprecedented feat" in the municipal polls.
According to officials, the Congress won 10 seats, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) two, and the JD(S) one while five Independents also emerged victorious in Vijayapura (earlier known as Bijapur) in north Karnataka.
The municipal elections in Vijayapura and Kollegal were held on October 28 and the results were announced on Monday.
Polls were held in Vijayapura after a gap of six years and it was the first election since the city municipality was upgraded to a corporation.
Sources in the BJP said the party is confident of coming to power in Vijayapura with the support of independents.
The bypolls in Kollegal in Chamarajanagar district was necessitated after seven Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) councillors joined the BJP.
These seven councillors were the supporters of MLA N Mahesh, who was expelled from the BSP after he, along with a few others from the Congress and JD(S), helped the saffron party come to power in Karnataka.
Following the bypoll results, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 13 seats, Congress came second with 11 and BSP two while there are four independents in the 31-member Kollegal CMC.
Bommai said, "By winning 17 seats out of 35 seats in the Vijayapura Municipal Corporation elections, our party has achieved an unprecedented feat. My heartiest congratulations to every member who ensured our victory. I thank from the bottom of my heart to the Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and dedicated party workers who toiled hard for the BJP."
Regarding the Kollegal bypoll results, the Chief Minister thanked the expelled BSP MLA Mahesh, the candidates and the party workers for their victory.
Bommai also thanked the voters who liked the "policies and achievements" of the governing party.
ಪಕ್ಷದ ದೇವದುರ್ಲಭ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರು ಹಾಗೂ ಪ್ರಮುಖರಿಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಹೃದಯಾಂತರಾಳದಿಂದ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು. ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಹಾಗೂ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಸಾಧನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮೆಚ್ಚಿ ಮತ ನೀಡಿದ ಮತದಾರ ಪ್ರಭುಗಳಿಗೆ ನನ್ನ ವಿಶೇಷ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು.
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) October 31, 2022
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ಗೆಲುವು ಸಾಧಿಸಿದ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಹಾರ್ದಿಕ ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು. ಪಕ್ಷದ ಗೆಲುವಿಗಾಗಿ ಹಗಲಿರುಳು ಶ್ರಮಿಸಿದ ಶಾಸಕ ಡಾ. ಎನ್. ಮಹೇಶ್ & ದೇವದುರ್ಲಭ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರಿಗೆ ಮನಃಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. @BJP4Karnataka
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) October 31, 2022
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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.
