Karnataka BJP terms Rahul Gandhi's planned protest against 'votes theft' as 'funny'

Rahul is scheduled to stage a protest in Bengaluru on August 4.

Bengaluru: Terming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's planned protest in Bengaluru on August 4 alleging votes theft as "funny", Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday said, if the Election Commission can be "manipulated" as being claimed, probably the grand old party would have sat in opposition in the state.

Stating that Gandhi was misguided on this issue, he demanded that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar should apologise to the voters of the state for raising doubts about the Election Commission and the election process.

The former Congress president, who recently claimed that his party has figured out the modus operandi of "votes theft" by studying a Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, will participate in a protest in Bengaluru on August 4 and submit a representation to the Election Commission officials here.

Amid the raging row over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, on July 23 he had alleged that elections are being "stolen" in India and claimed that his party has figured out the modus operandi of the "votes theft" by studying a LS constituency in Karnataka.

"Rahul Gandhi going to protest against the Election Commission here in Bengaluru is the funniest part. I don't know why he is so confused. If the BJP can manipulate and misuse the Election Commission, then how did Congress come to power in Karnataka with 136 MLAs? How did the Congress win by-elections for three MLA seats?" Vijayendra asked.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, by raising doubts about the Election Commission, Gandhi and the Congress party are not only undermining the democratic institutions, they are creating doubt among the general public about the poll body, which is a "very dangerous trend."

"I think Rahul Gandhi has been misguided in this issue. I demand that Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and also Rahul Gandhi should seek an apology from Karnataka voters. If the BJP had misused the Election Commission, then BJP would have come to power. I don't know who gave this nonsensical idea to Gandhi. It has become a joke. If the Election Commission can be manipulated, Congress probably would have sat in opposition in the state," he added.

Following Gandhi's statement, Siddaramaiah too had alleged that the Congress party's setback in the Lok Sabha polls in the state was due to "illegal manipulation" of the electoral process by the BJP through its misuse of the Election Commission, and the discussions were on with party high command to decide the necessary course of action.

He claimed that in several constituencies across the state, Congress workers reported sudden and suspicious additions of new voters, while names of long-time voters were removed without justification.

Shivakumar, too, agreeing with Gandhi's allegation, had said he had conducted a detailed investigation regarding the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency, and a lot of "golmal" had been done.