Is the ECI Being Misused by BJP in Karnataka?

Bengaluru, July 26 (NationPress) The Congress-led administration in Karnataka has once again accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing the Election Commission of India (ECI). They have issued a warning of potential protests, claiming the ECI has not adequately addressed the concerns raised by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

During a media briefing following the 'Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan' in Delhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar shared their views on the matter.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remarked on the alleged misuse of the ECI by the BJP, stating, "In the last Lok Sabha elections, eligible voters were removed from the voters' list and replaced with names of individuals who do not belong to that constituency. This was the concern raised by Rahul Gandhi, both in Parliament and beyond."

He raised questions regarding the voting outcomes in the Bengaluru Central Parliamentary constituency, where the BJP's P.C. Mohan emerged victorious. Siddaramaiah stated, "Why did we receive fewer votes in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency? We had leads in other constituencies, yet Mahadevapura's numbers overshadowed them. How could this happen?"

He further asserted, "Rahul Gandhi possesses evidence demonstrating the removal of eligible voters and the inclusion of ineligible ones. We plan to seek legal recourse, although we anticipate delays in court proceedings due to the sluggish nature of election-related cases."

The Chief Minister explained that the manipulation of electoral rolls occurs selectively in certain constituencies. He also claimed to have witnessed a demonstration showing how EVMs could be tampered with, asserting that this manipulation did not take place during the state Assembly elections but was evident in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In response to the ECI's announcement regarding nationwide electoral roll revisions, Siddaramaiah expressed skepticism, saying, "They alter the voters' list. We've seen discrepancies where one list is provided earlier, and an entirely different one appears on election day."

He added that despite numerous complaints submitted to the ECI, the organization has not responded positively, contradicting its claims of not receiving any objections from Congress during the elections.

Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar also accused the ECI of ignoring their concerns about vote tampering and warned of an impending agitation if the situation remains unresolved. Supporting Rahul Gandhi's stance on vote tampering, Shivakumar stated, "I wholeheartedly agree with him. He has conducted extensive research on this issue, and we will provide further evidence to back him up."

He noted significant voting percentage discrepancies across different booths in Bengaluru and mentioned that a team of legal experts is investigating these irregularities. When asked if the Congress party suffered losses due to these issues, he emphasized that it is less about winning or losing and more about ensuring transparency and trust in the electoral system.

Regarding vote tampering in the Bengaluru Rural Parliamentary constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he affirmed, "Yes, vote fraud occurred here. We anticipated a margin of 7,000 to 8,000 votes, but the actual margin exceeded 1 lakh votes, indicating extensive planning."

Shivakumar's brother, former Congress MP D.K. Suresh, lost to BJP candidate C.N. Manjunath, who is related to former Prime Minister and JD-S founder H.D. Deve Gowda.

Moreover, he pointed out that there are no accurate records for 60,000 votes in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency alone, assuring that they would present the necessary documentation before the House.