Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of a 'criminal conspiracy' in the Sringeri assembly poll recounting, alleging that valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader TD Rajegowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
The remarks came after a Karnataka high court-ordered recount overturned the 2023 election result in Sringeri, handing victory to BJP candidate DN Jeevaraj by 52 votes.
Siddaramaiah alleged that valid votes cast in favour of Rajegowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S), and that 255 votes were initially accepted as valid but later tampered with by subordinate officials.
The CM described the incident as 'vote dacoity' and accused the BJP of not believing in fair and impartial elections, citing past instances of voter list tampering.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar called for intervention by the Election Commission, while BJP leaders sought the Governor's permission for Jeevaraj's early swearing-in.
