DKS smells electoral malpractice in Belagavi

BELAGAVI:  While stating that there is a possibility of manipulation of votes in some of the constituencies in Belagavi district in the forthcoming election from Belagavi local bodies’ constituency, KPCC president DK Shivakumar has appealed to the Election Commission and the government to deploy separate police teams besides installation of video cameras in the polling booths in Gokak, Raibag, Arabhavi and other adjoining areas.

Shivakumar said that the KPCC would file a complaint with the Election Commission making an appeal to initiate stringent measures to ensure free and fair election in Belagavi. “We are aware that people other than actual voters have voted in several areas of Belagavi, particularly in Gokak, Arabhavi, Raibag and other areas here in the past elections,” he said.

Shivakumar also hit out at the BJP in connection with the recent statement of BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi that the voters should give one of their votes to BJP and that they should not give another vote to the Congress. “BJP is running the government by entertaining blackmailers inside it. It has failed to act against leaders who are involved in blackmailing it regularly. As head of a party, I would have expelled such elements in our party if such developments were to take place in the Congress,’’ he said.

When asked about the recent purported remark made by Ramesh to address MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar, Shivakumar said, “Such language by a BJP leader reflects the party’s culture. There are more than 50% women leaders in BJP and they keep claiming that BJP is a cultured  party.” Highlighting the role of Congress in building the panchayat system in the country, he said that the Congress worked to strengthen local bodies by giving them more funds. 

The BJP government could not conduct the session in Belagavi for the past two years fearing protests by civilians and farmers and they now agreed to conduct it, he thundered.