Bengaluru, May 6 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Wednesday alleged that the Congress has betrayed its ally DMK in Tamil Nadu and said parties in the INDIA bloc should introspect over the development.

Speaking to reporters at the BJP’s party office in Bengaluru, Ashoka said the Congress, which had contested elections alongside the DMK in Tamil Nadu, has now abandoned the party. He claimed that the true nature of the Congress has been exposed and that DMK leaders, who had trusted the party, have been left disappointed.

He said there was an understanding to come together and form the government after the elections, but after the results, Congress shifted its stance.

He further alleged that Congress does not follow any consistent ideology and has “stabbed the DMK in the back,” proving that it cannot be trusted. He warned that other INDIA bloc partners should take note of how Congress treats its allies, or they may face a similar situation as the DMK.

On the Sringeri recount issue, Ashoka said that Speaker U.T. Khader has now agreed to administer the oath to BJP MLA D.N. Jeevaraj after the matter was taken to the Governor.

He said that once a candidate’s name is published in the official gazette and a certificate is issued by the Election Commission, the oath must be administered. He added that either the Governor or a person designated by him can administer the oath, and welcomed the Speaker’s decision to accept the result and proceed with the swearing-in.

Criticising Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ashoka said that if he believed there was wrongdoing, he should have approached the court earlier. He accused the Congress of taking contradictory positions on the Election Commission and EVMs, pointing out that they accept results when they win but question them when they lose.

He also criticised leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for making inconsistent statements on EVMs in different states and said leaders should speak responsibly on election results.

–IANS

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