Karnataka HM's 'Bogus Votes, Ballot Papers Helped Party Win' Remark Stirs Row, Cong Leader Clarifies

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stirred a huge row after he allegedly said that the ballot paper system was better than EVMs as only one or two people used to cast votes for the whole village in the past. Addressing an election rally in Tumkuru on April 16, Parameshwara claimed that getting bogus votes was the winning formula of the Congress. After both BJP and JDS hit out at Congress for trying to push the country back to stone ages, Parameshwara said that he was only pointing out irregularities in ballot papers.

"In elections of the past ballot paper was used to cast votes.  What is it tell me? There were no EVMs then but only ballot paper. One or two people could cast all ballot votes then. I still remember in our village that one or two people used to cast everybody's votes and then they would be sent away. Today too, the Yadava community remembers me as Nammayappa," Parameshwara was seen saying in the above video.

After Parameshwara's alleged claims, both BJP and JDS have hit out at the state Home Minister. Such sort of statements shouldn't be made by the home minister of Karnataka, said the Opposition parties in Karnataka. When EVMs have eased the voting process, this is the way of Congress going ahead and pushing country back to stone ages, the state Opposition parties claimed.

Meanwhile, Parameshwara has alleged that his statements are being blown out of proportion and the BJP and JDS are trying to politicise it. "Previously there were ballot papers and I only told malpractices that were done at that time, doesn't mean we were doing it. At that time there was booth capturing and the boxes in which the votes were cast was being taken away, therefore EVMs were brought. Now, there are allegations that there are irregularities in EVMs. Recently, in Kasaragod, any button pressed was going to BJP and it has been noticed during mock polls. I told this because such mistakes should be rectified. Who will agree if they (JDS) try to give it a political narrative during elections?", said Parameshwara.