HDK demands DKShi’s resignation; ‘No medicine for his jealousy,’ retorts Shivakumar
Bengaluru: JD(S) Karnataka unit President HD Kumaraswamy has demanded resignation of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar alleging that, “he ( Shivakumar) is directly involved in the pen drive conspiracy that tarnishes the family of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, he (Shivakumar) should resign immediately.”
Addressing reporters in the city on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy stated that the role of DK Shivakumar was clear in the audio conversation. “He should resign. Otherwise, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself should dismiss him from the cabinet.”
He further claimed that Karthik, the creator of the pen drive, first brought the sleaze videos to Shivakumar, and Hassan's candidate of Congress party was present during this exchange. Kumaraswamy argued that it is inappropriate for Shivakumar to remain in the cabinet given his alleged involvement in the case.
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He accused Shivakumar of misusing his power and criticized the government for protecting him, warning that such actions would have severe consequences.
Kumaraswamy also alleged that there was a big political conspiracy plotted by Shivakumar for personal gain and electoral success. He criticized the government for allegedly shielding a ‘disgraced minister’ and suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah should address the issue, questioning their silence on the matter.
Kumaraswamy expressed concerns about the safety of lawyer Deveraj Gowda in jail, suggesting that there could be potential threats due to the involvement of individuals associated with the current government. He also questioned why Karthik Gowda, Naveen Gowda, and others involved in sharing the pen drive have not been arrested.
Meanwhile, retorting back at HDK’s allegations, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed Kumaraswamy's allegations, stating that it was out of jealousy.
Speaking at a blood donation camp organized by the Youth Congress in honor of the Rajiv Gandhi memorial at Congress Bhavan, Shivakumar said, "There is no medicine for jealousy. He (Kumraswamy) wants me to resign. There is nothing wrong with having a wish."
Shivakumar further pointed out that, “Kumaraswamy was thinking as if he is a King maker, However, JD(S) secured only 18 seats under his presidency. Meanwhile, Congress secured 136 seats during my tenure.” He dismissed the JD(S)'s alliance with the BJP and suggested that Kumaraswamy could continue making accusations without impacting his position.
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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.
