Bharatiya Janata Party National President Amit Shah on Monday said the Congress likes the Election Commission and electronic voting machines now that it has managed to form the government in Karnataka in alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular), ANI reported. The Congress has in the past doubted the integrity of the that the voting machines. Mid-way through counting of votes on May 15, some Congress leaders had alleged that voting machines had been tampered with.
“It’s a good sign that the Opposition now likes both of them [EVMs and the Election Commission] even after what they have in hand is an incomplete victory,” Shah said at a press conference. “All I can say is hopefully they will like EVMs and the poll body even when they lose.”
The Congress won 78 seats, and the Janata Dal (Secular) 37 seats in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly in the May 12 elections, and formed a post-poll alliance. The Bharatiya Janata Party won 104 seats, but its chief minister, BS Yeddyurappa, resigned before the trust vote on Saturday.
“Congress and JD(S) formed an alliance against the people’s mandate,” Shah said. “This is what I call an unholy alliance. We [the BJP] had the right to form the government, so we staked claim.”
Shah further said: “They accused us of horse trading, but Congress has sold their whole stable.”
He said the Congress’ claim that Yeddyurappa had asked Governor Vajubhai Vala for seven days to prove majority was false. “If it was the case, they should have asked for the letter [from Yeddyurappa to the governor]. The Congress’ lawyer lied in court,” Shah alleged.
He accused the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) of conning people. “No one will be the dominating party...They will later come to know the pros and cons of this unholy alliance. Domination doesn’t come with power but with the love of people,” Shah said.
‘BJP a habitual offender of stealing mandate’
Meanwhile, the Congress said Shah doesn’t respect the Constitution. “I don’t think Amit Shah has knowledge of or respects the Constitution,” Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters at a press conference. “Even if he has the knowledge of the Constitution, he doesn’t respect it.”
The Congress leader said the BJP was a habitual offender of stealing governments and mandate, PTI reported. Sharma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the nation for allegedly using money power in Karnataka.
“BJP is one of the richest political parties in the world,” Sharma said. “At least Rs 6,500 crore was spent by the BJP in the run-up to Karnataka elections.”
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