Bengaluru, July 25 (IANS) Former BJP National General Secretary and Karnataka Legislative Council member C.T. Ravi, responding to allegations by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and his claim of having concrete proof that the poll oanel allowed cheating for a seat in Karnataka, has alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the Congress’ victory in 9 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka in 2024 general elections.

Speaking to the media at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi, he said: “Despite the Congress’ conspiracy, the NDA managed to win 19 seats, which is a victory for democracy. Otherwise, how would it have been possible for AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law to win in Kalaburagi?”

He questioned the Congress’ victories in Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Chikkodi, Davanagere, Chamarajanagar, and Hassan Lok Sabha seats, stating: “It appears the Congress could only have won these seats through electoral malpractice. It seems clear that Congress itself committed electoral fraud. A comprehensive investigation must be carried out in this regard.”

“The Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge have themselves claimed that electoral roll tampering occurred in Karnataka. Even I had my doubts. When the Congress and JD(S) contested together in 2019, they could win only one seat. Then how did the Congress manage to win nine seats in 2024?” he asked.

Ravi further said: “The Election Commission doesn’t have its own independent network of officials. Voter roll revisions are carried out using revenue department officials and school teachers. Most of these officials are under the state government’s control. At that time, the Congress was in power in Karnataka. So who had more opportunity to commit malpractice?”

He alleged that there is a possibility the Congress resorted to such methods even during the 2023 Assembly elections to come to power.

“Many people doubted Siddaramaiah’s chances of winning. They used to say that defeating C.T. Ravi — who gave a medical college and executed Rs 5,000 crore worth of development work — would be difficult. Even in my own defeat, there may have been malpractice involved,” he said.

“In 2024, it seemed unlikely for Congress to win even a single Lok Sabha seat. Then how did they win nine? Looking at all this, it appears electoral fraud was carried out under the direction of the Congress party,” he alleged.

He further stated that there is a proven case of electoral fraud against the Congress party.

“In 1975, Allahabad High Court’s Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha ruled that Indira Gandhi committed electoral malpractice. The judgment disqualified her as an MP and barred her from contesting elections for six years. But instead of resigning and accepting the verdict, the Congress imposed an Emergency, strangled democracy, and tampered with the Constitution. That was a criminal act. It is a proven offense in a court of law,” he added.

“The Congress party has both the background and capacity for committing such offenses. Revenue officials and schoolteachers are used to revise the electoral rolls. Under whose control do these officials work?” he asked.

“The BJP neither has that background nor such a mindset. The Congress, on the other hand, has a proven track record of such allegations,” Ravi said in response to another question.

“There’s a saying — don’t trust a thief to guard your home. Those with a criminal background suspect others of what they themselves do,” he concluded.

–IANS

mka/pgh