BJP is destroying democracy: Kodagu DCC chief

The BJP has acted illegally during the recently held Gram Panchayat elections. Legal fight will be taken up questioning the result of Thitimati ward, said District Congress Committee President K K Manjunath Kumar.

Addressing reporters, he said that the BJP has not taken part in the Gram Panchayat elections constitutionally. Candidates supported by the BJP, have submitted fake caste certificates.

The nominations of the contenders supported by other parties have been deliberately rejected. By taking control of the Election Commission, the BJP has destroyed democracy, he said.

Manjunath Kumar accused the BJP of defeating the Congress supported candidate in Titimati by mounting pressure. A case has been filed in Ponnampet court in this connection, he said and urged to suspend the returning officer and the assistant returning officer who carried out the counting of votes in Garvale constituency.

The DCC president came down heavily on MP Pratap Simha and MLAs in the region for not responding to the woes of the farmers who have suffered losses owing to untimely rainfall.

The MLAs and MP from BJP speak only during elections, he said.

Manjunath Kumar also said that a memorandum will be submitted to the deputy commissioner, urging for suitable compensation to be given to affected farmers.

District Congress Committee spokesperson Suresh, Minority Cell president Usman, former CMC member Uday Kumar, Youth Congress city president Sada Muddappa and Mahila Congress city president Fancy Parvathi were present in the press meet.

‘Returning officers have succumbed to pressure’

BJP leaders have mounted pressure on the returning officers to manipulate the votes so that the results were favourable to the BJP supported candidates. During the counting, an MLA from the BJP was present at the counting centre and has seen to it that the result is in favour of candidates supported by the BJP, said District Congress Committee President K K Manjunath Kumar.

This is not a good development in democracy, he said and alleged that the BJP has paid lakhs of rupees to the candidates supported by them.

“In Madikeri, Congress supported candidates have won in large numbers. Both BJP and Congress have won an equal number of seats. Even though BJP has spent lots of money, a lot of Congress supported candidates have won, only because of the hard work of Congress workers,” he added.