Vote theft claim pits Sidda's aides against DKS supporters

BENGALURU: Fresh cracks have emerged within Congress in Karnataka as party's senior functionaries and CM Siddaramaiah's aides dismissed MP Rahul Gandhi's allegation of "vote theft" in the state during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls , drawing a sharp response from deputy CM D K Shivakumar's supporters.

Dismissing Rahul's allegation against EC, cooperation minister K N Rajanna suggested that the party must also take responsibility for losing key constituencies like Bangalore Central in the 2024 polls. "One should remember that voter lists were revised when our own govt was at the helm," Rajanna told reporters. "Why did our party turn a blind eye then? It is true there are irregularities, but it is insulting for us that it happened right under our noses."

Reminding party colleagues that EC had invited objections after publishing draft electoral rolls, Rajanna said, "It becomes our responsibility to act in a timely fashion on issues like electoral rolls... We should have raised objections then... After keeping silent when we were supposed to speak, we are talking about it now."

Members of Shivakumar's camp accused Rajanna of acting against party interests. The internal tensions come amid a larger ongoing struggle for the CM post between supporters of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

"State govt has decided to investigate the issue of vote theft and has asked the advocate general to submit a report," said H D Ranganath, Kunigal MLA and DKS supporter. "Talking negatively against our own party and govt even before the investigation is over is unpardonable. The high command must take serious note of it and end such anti-party activities."