BENGALURU, 25 JULY

BJP State President BY Vijayendra on Friday came down heavily on the Congress, demanding that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar apologise to the people of Karnataka for casting aspersions on the Election Commission of India.

He said the Congress leaders were sowing seeds of suspicion in the minds of the public by questioning the integrity of a constitutional institution.

Speaking at a press conference, Vijayendra said, "Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP of misusing the Election Commission during the previous Lok Sabha elections. Now, CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar have echoed the same allegations. 

Questioning a constitutional body like the Election Commission is not only an insult to the institution but also an anti-democratic act."

Vijayendra asked, "If the Election Commission was really misused, how did the Congress come to power in Karnataka with 134 seats in 2023 assembly election? Would it have been possible for Siddaramaiah to become the Chief Minister? Didn’t Congress also win the bypolls in three assembly constituencies? How did that happen if the elections were manipulated?"

The BJP state chief termed the statements by the Congress leaders as a "dangerous development" and claimed it reflected the party’s "Emergency-era mindset," which has not changed even today.

He said that when the matter of electoral rolls and elections is being discussed in the Supreme Court, such remarks should be made there and not in public forums. “Corrupting the public’s perception about the Election Commission is not in good taste," he added.