Kashappanavar questions BJP over Congress EC visit

Bagalkote Minister Vijayanand Kashappanavar questioned BJP leaders for describing the Congress delegation’s visit to the Election Commission office as a protest, saying the delegation had gone there only to submit a complaint and memorandum. Speaking in Bilagi, Kashappanavar said the Chief Minister and members of the Cabinet had visited the Election Commission office as part of the procedure to raise concerns over alleged irregularities. He asked whether political leaders should go to an office or Freedom Park when they need to submit a complaint. “We did not stage a sit-in or protest anywhere. The Chief Minister and Cabinet members went to the Election Commission office to submit a memorandum according to the rules,” he said. He alleged that the BJP, rather than the Congress, had violated electoral rules. Kashappanavar also questioned BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra’s claim that around 24,000 Form-7 applications had been printed. He asked how Vijayendra had obtained the exact figure and whether the Election Commission had provided the information to him in advance. The Minister alleged that the BJP and RSS workers were filling out and distributing what he described as fake forms across Assembly constituencies. He condemned the alleged practice, saying it amounted to an attempt to deprive citizens of their right to vote. Kashappanavar further alleged that the BJP was conspiring to systematically remove the names of eligible voters from electoral rolls through the ongoing revision process. He said the Congress would continue to raise concerns over the issue and protect the voting rights of eligible citizens. He also said that people would respond to such alleged actions through the democratic process. Referring to the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections, Kashappanavar claimed that voters would give the BJP an appropriate response. The allegations made by the Minister come amid an escalating political dispute in Karnataka over the revision of electoral rolls and the submission of Form-7 applications seeking deletion of names.