BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has fired a salvo at the Election Commission of India, slamming the so-called “indelible” ink used in the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections calling it a sham that wipes off with sanitisers, acetone, or nail polish remover.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’, the CM said, “Democracy survives only when every vote is sacred and its safeguards are real. Today, media reports and viral social media videos from the BMC polls show so-called ‘indelible’ ink being wiped off easily... raising grave concerns about electoral credibility... This is not an isolated glitch – it’s another troubling chapter in the larger story of Vote Chori... The EC must act with transparency, accountability and corrective measures now. #BMCElections #VoteChori.”
Congress MLC BK Hariprasad said that the EC has become a part of the BJP and are killing democracy.
RDPR and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge said, “Dont look at the ink issue in isolation. Look at all the ways the BJP is seeking to rule in perpetuity for the next 50 or 100 years. Ink is only the last resort of their desperation.’’
Congress leaders responded with outrage echoing LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s statement. “EC gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act,” a Congress leader said.
Same results will repeat in Bengaluru, says HDK
On the Maharashtra local body elections, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said the NDA has performed well and expressed confidence that the same results would be repeated in Bengaluru as well. He called upon BJP and JDS workers and leaders to work together to achieve this outcome.