Congress in Karnataka playing 'double game' over SIR of electoral rolls: Nitin Nabin

BJP president says that the Congress suffers from a 'syndrome' of opposing everything.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Sunday alleged that the ruling Congress in Karnataka was playing a “double game” over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Quoting Nabin, BJP MLC C T Ravi said the party chief cautioned the state unit against what he termed Congress’ anti-Constitutional statements on SIR.

“When Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh conducted SIR, it was acceptable. But when BJP does it, Congress calls it wrong,” Ravi said, quoting Nabin. 

The saffron party president remarked that the Congress suffered from a “syndrome” of opposing everything.

Ravi said Nabin accused the Congress of simultaneously building a negative narrative around the SIR exercise, while quietly mapping voters through camps on the ground.

Nabin also reportedly alleged that the Congress had in the past “deleted” “G-L-B” votes — referring to Gowdas, Lingayats and Brahmins — in Bengaluru by identifying them through surnames in electoral rolls, targeting communities seen as non-Congress voters.

Caution against deletions

“If 20 names are removed in each booth, it amounts to a loss of nearly 4,000 votes in a constituency. Our booth workers and leaders should remain watchful,” the BJP chief cautioned, according to Ravi.

Nabin reportedly attacked the Siddaramaiah-led government, alleging it had betrayed the trust of people over the past three years.

He said the government was neglecting public welfare due to internal power struggles and accused Congress leaders of speaking against corruption while their own ministers faced graft charges.

While Congress promised guarantees to improve lives, rising prices in the state had burdened people instead, the MLC quoted the BJP president as saying.

“There is no guarantee of a better life today. The Karnataka government has become an ATM for Congress leaders in Delhi,” Nabin said, according to Ravi. Nitin also paid a courtesy visit to Lok Bhavan and met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, late in the evening.