Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar accused significant irregularities in the vote recount for Sringeri Assembly constituency. He claimed that postal ballots supporting the Congress candidate were tampered with and invalidated. Shivakumar emphasized the need for a legal battle to address this issue.
During the recount, BJP candidate D.N. Jeevaraj emerged victorious over the incumbent Congress MLA, T.D. Rajegowda. Shivakumar, speaking at the Chief Minister’s residence in Bengaluru, labeled the events as unprecedented and a severe electoral offense. He stressed the importance of legal action to rectify the situation.
Shivakumar highlighted the standard procedure for handling postal ballots, involving scrutiny by party agents and election officials before counting. He alleged that the BJP candidate manipulated the process by tampering with the postal ballots after validation. The Deputy Chief Minister called for a thorough investigation into the matter.
The Deputy Chief Minister urged the Election Commission to intervene and ensure justice, characterizing the incident as a major conspiracy. He accused the BJP in Karnataka of complicity in the alleged malpractice and affirmed that the Congress would pursue legal avenues to address the issue. Shivakumar asserted the party’s ability to navigate such political challenges effectively.
