Court-monitored elections for democracy to survive in country: Konaraddi

Senior JD(S) leader N H Konaraddi demanded court-monitored elections across India henceforth as Election Commissions (both state and central) have lost their independence and are working under the influence of governments.

Speaking to media persons on Tuesday after resigning from the National General Secretary post of the party, Konaraddi took responsibility for JD(S)'s humiliating defeat in the Hubbali-Dharwad Mahanagara Palike polls. He said that so far only district administration officials and police department personnel were working under the influence of the ruling parties in the state. But as per latest trend, even the EC is under the influence of the governments, he said.

He gave the example of how only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received the softcopy of the voters' list from the election commission, while the opposition leaders had to content themselves with the hard copy. “BJP using a software was able to contact voters and improve their voting percentage,” he said and also questioned the ‘unscientific’ delimitation process that ensured Muslim voters were divided to ensure BJP benefited from it.

Konaraddi said democracy can only survive in the country if the elections are held under the watch of courts. He suggested that the Supreme Court monitor the Lok Sabha elections, High Courts supervise the Assembly elections and taluk and district courts supervise the urban local bodies polls.

Taking responsibility

The former MLA from Navalgund said in spite of running spirited campaigning for the HDMP polls, the party failed to secure the set number of seats. “We were hopeful of winning 7-8 seats in the polls. However, we are disappointed that we could win only one seat. As the head of the campaigning, I take the full responsibility of the debacle and resign from the National General Secretary post,” he said.

He added that senior party leaders including party supremo H D Deve Gowda, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and party president H K Kumaraswamy will take a call on supporting either BJP or Congress in HDMP and Kalaburagi City Corporation.

“I would prefer the party to support a secular coalition in these two corporations,” he said.

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