KALABURAGI, 16 SEPT 

Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy has taken aim at Rahul Gandhi following allegations of “vote theft” during the Karnataka Congress’s ‘My Vote My Right’ campaign. Speaking to reporters, Kumaraswamy questioned Gandhi's faith in electronic voting machines (EVMs), asserting, “The vote theft that Rahul Gandhi spoke about, he doesn’t have confidence in EVMs and now wants to go back to the ballot paper system.”

Kumaraswamy challenged the credibility of the State government, suggesting that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should resign if he harbours doubts about the EVMs. “Congress got around 136 seats in the state, and Congress is doubting the EVM. If that is the case, then Congress and CM should resign, and we should go for a fresh election,” he stated.

The controversy arose during a rally where Siddaramaiah emphasised the importance of preventing vote misuse, while Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar remarked, “Ballot is stronger than a bullet,” underscoring the significance of democratic values.