Yettinahole project to be inaugurated on September 6: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Sep 1: The ambitious Yettinahole project that would provide water to seven districts will be dedicated to the public on September 6, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister D K Shivakumar said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, he said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the project on Gauri Puja day.
"Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Tumakuru and Hassan districts have been eagerly waiting for the completion of the project. Many leaders have fought for this project and all political parties have cooperated for this. I had taken up this project as a challenge in the last one year and completed the works on a war footing," Shivakumar said.
According to the DCM, the project had drawn a lot of criticism and there were some disputes pertaining to forest land but the government is sorting them out.
Once this land is handed over to the government, water will flow into main canals. Currently, water is being lifted from seven barrages and is temporarily released to Vani Vilas Sagar dam, Shivakumar explained.
Asked what transpired at the dinner hosted by the CM, he said, "We discussed the modalities of the 100th anniversary celebrations of Gandhiji assuming the office of the President of the AICC. The anniversary celebrations will focus on spreading awareness about Gandhi's principles among youth."
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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.
