Urging the Election Commission to probe the purported statement of Yathindra, former Congress legislator and son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, that cookers and iron boxes were distributed during elections, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday alleged that the Congress government had come to power “through such illegal means.”
“I had stated repeatedly that the Congress government has come to power by enticing voters in the election. Son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself has laid bare the truth,” the former CM said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Mr. Yathindra’s is said to have made the statement while speaking to members of the Madiwala (washermen) community recently, referring to the purported distribution in Varuna constituency before the Assembly elections. The short video clip had gone viral on social media.
“Forget other constituencies, cooker and iron boxes have been distributed in Chief Minister’s constituency Varuna. Other candidates have followed their socialist leader and have spoilt the sanctity of Vidhana Soudha built by Kengal Hanumanthaiah. This was done along with five guarantee coupons that were distributed to entice voters, which was world’s biggest election fraud,“ Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged. The Congress has now plotted to “destroy democratic system” in the country by introducing the “Karnataka model” to other states, including in Telengana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan that are going into elections, he added.
Mr. Kumaraswamy said that the Election Commission should investigate the statement of Mr. Yathindra thoroughly and disqualify all the 135 members elected from Congress and the government should be dismissed. The Centre should also probe election related irregularities, and prevent the “anti-India programmes” that are destroying the Constitution and democracy, he added.
