A day after swearing in as the deputy chief minister of Karnataka, Congress leader G Parameshwara on Thursday accused the BJP of manipulating the EVM machines in the recently-concluded state assembly elections, adding that the party will approach the Election Commission over the issue.
“Some of our leaders and I personally feel EVMs have been manipulated by BJP. Many Congress leaders lost at places even where Congress had a stronghold. We will complain to EC, we urge to move back to ballot papers,” Parameshwara told the media.
It may be worth mentioning here that BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, too, had alleged grave irregularities in the state assembly elections. He had said that the concerned officials had failed to act despite complaints from his party.
"I am of firm belief that Election Commission has taken a serious note of VVPAT machines found abandoned in a shed near Managuli village in Vijayapur district. It indicates grave irregularities in conduct of assembly polls in Karnataka," Yeddyurappa had written in his letter to the state EC.
The newly elected deputy CM further exuded confidence that the alliance partner JD(S) will support Congress candidate in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency elections, scheduled to be held on May 28.
The polling on the seat was deferred after over 9,000 voter ID cards were seized from a flat in the constituency. The BJP had accused the Congress of hatching a conspiracy to “derail” free and fair polls.
Parameshwara also said that he didn’t get the post of deputy CM for being a Dalit, and that it was a mere coincidence.
G Parameshwara, the state Congress chief and the party's Dalit face, was sworn in as Kumaraswamy's deputy.
Kumaraswamy will expand his council of ministers after the trust vote on Friday which he is expected to win without any hiccups. The Congress, which has 78 MLAs, is likely to get 22 ministerial berths and the JD(S) with 37 lawmakers 12.
In a related development, the opposition BJP today fielded senior leader S Ramesh Kumar as its candidate in the election for the post of Karnataka Assembly Speaker to be held tomorrow, apparently to force a trial of strength before the H D Kumaraswamy government seeks vote of confidence.
