BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka accused Speaker UT Khader of deliberately delaying the administration of oath as MLA to BJP leader DN Jeevaraj, who was declared winner after a court-ordered recount of postal ballots in the Sringeri Assembly constituency. Speaking to media persons after meeting Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, the BJP leader said they have requested the governor to administer the oath to the BJP MLA as the Speaker is “deliberately delaying it”.
Ashoka said the governor informed them of writing to the Speaker. He warned Khader that the party would launch an agitation against him if he went against the Constitution.
Ashoka slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for accusing officials of manipulating postal ballots. “You (Siddaramaiah) are unfit to continue as CM. If it can happen in offices where officials have been appointed by your government, what is the guarantee that it is not happening in the CM’s office? Are government documents in all government offices being tampered with? The CM exposed himself,” Ashoka said.
He was responding to the CM’s allegations that there was a conspiracy in the recounting of votes in Sringeri and postal ballots were tampered with. The CM termed it as “vote chori and dacoity”.
“Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, talk about vote chori. This has now been exposed in Sringeri. They came to power by doing that and Sringeri is an example. The government must be terminated,” the BJP leader said, and added that the CBI should investigate whether Siddaramaiah or DCM DK Shivakumar called the Returning Officer during the vote count and exerted pressure.