Vote theft: K'taka Dy CM Shivakumar hands over 1.12 crore signature forms; says injustice from EC as well

New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS) Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka State President, D.K. Shivakumar, on Monday handed over to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge a box containing 1.12 crore signature forms collected as part of a signature campaign against alleged vote theft by the BJP.

One box was submitted to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge symbolically, while the rest of the boxes were handed over to AICC General Secretary Netta D'Souza at the new AICC building.

Speaking to the media on Monday at the premises of the newly-inaugurated AICC building Indira Bhavan in Delhi, Dy CM Shivakumar said: “Injustice has been done by the Election Commission as well. Vote theft during elections was first detected in Karnataka. Now, irregularities in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Bihar have also come to light."

“We have symbolically handed over the documents of the signature collection campaign to our National President Mallikarjun Kharge. A hundred years ago, Mahatma Gandhi carried a similar responsibility, and today, our own Mallikarjun Kharge from Karnataka is fulfilling that role."

"Under his guidance, we have fought to protect the citizens' right to vote. We are fighting for the principle of 'one person, one vote'. It was our state that first detected the vote theft. The AICC research division, our candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, and the KPCC team together exposed this malpractice and informed the AICC," he explained.

“Our leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge came to Bengaluru and launched this campaign from Freedom Park. Later, election malpractices in Maharashtra and Haryana were exposed, and the movement spread to Bihar. Under the direction of AICC general secretaries K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, we completed this campaign,” he added.

“We have submitted the signatures collected through the dedicated efforts of our workers, block and district presidents, and various party units. We have done our duty. Recently, the Chief Minister and I held a press conference on this matter. Our workers are continuing the campaign, and we will submit the next set of signatures soon,” he said.

“Vote theft has definitely taken place. When an FIR was filed in Bihar, why did the court intervene and issue instructions? After Rahul Gandhi first held a press conference about this, the media came to Bengaluru and conducted fact-checks — verifying the number of houses mentioned and the specific locations of the irregularities. No government will admit its own failures. It is the Opposition’s duty to identify and expose those failures,” he stated.

When asked about Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s statement that “there are terrorists inside the Vidhana Soudha (state legislature),” Shivakumar retorted: “Is Kumaraswamy himself part of those terrorists? Wasn’t he also sitting in the Vidhana Soudha? This applies to him, his party members, and even his administration.”

“The Election Commission has not provided proper justice to the voters of Bihar. The BJP has misused constitutional institutions. Even if nothing else matters, one’s conscience always remains — and ultimately, that conscience will prevail,” he said.

"This agitation was carried out in Bihar, Haryana and Maharashtra states in later stages. Today, our workers, block and district presidents, representatives of various organizations have participated in the signature campaign. Today, we all have come to Delhi with signatures as per the directive of AICC National General Secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal," Dy CM Shivakumar stated.

"The BJP is misusing the internal agency and trying to shuffle things. If I speak anything about it, it will take a different turn. We are cautious. Ultimately you have to look at your consciousness regarding what is going on. That is why Rahul Gandhi ji and all our leaders have taken to the streets.

"We are very clear that misuse of office has taken place. The Election Commission has not given justice to Bihar voters," he said.

"I speak about democracy, the right to vote, and the protection of the Constitution,” he concluded.

AICC Secretary Abhishek Dutt, KPCC Working President Dr G.C. Chandrashekar and Campaign Committee Chairman Vinay Sorake and others were present on the occasion.

--IANS

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