Vote theft allegations trigger Congress-BJP clash in Haveri

CH NEWS, Haveri Allegations and counter-allegations of fraudulent voting have sparked a political controversy in Haveri during the West Graduates' Constituency election, with Congress and BJP leaders accusing each other of irregularities. Congress Yuva Morcha president Prasanna Hiremath alleged at a press conference on Monday that proxy voting had taken place in the names of relatives of BJP leaders. He claimed that votes were cast in the names of voters who had not visited polling stations. According to Hiremath, irregularities were reported at polling booths 84 and 85. He alleged that votes in the names of Aishwarya Harigola, Varsha Harigola and Keerthi Vanahalli had been cast by other individuals. He said the three women were employed at private companies and that records of their attendance would be collected to support the allegations. Meanwhile, BJP workers staged a protest against Minister Rudrappa Lamani, accusing Congress members of fraudulent voting. The protesters marched from J.H. Patel Circle towards the minister's residence, raising slogans against him. Police stopped them midway, leading to a heated exchange and temporary disruption on Devagiri Road. Addressing the protesters, former BJP district president Arun Kumar Pujar alleged that a woman named Shilpa had cast the vote of Asha Patil, the wife of Congress district president Sanjeevkumar Neeralagi. He claimed that the incident raised questions about the Congress leadership's repeated allegations of vote theft against the BJP. Pujar also criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other Congress leaders, demanding an explanation over the alleged incident. He questioned the party's position on electoral transparency and accused its leaders of applying different standards when similar allegations involved their own party. The rival allegations have intensified political tensions in Haveri following the election. The claims made by both parties require verification by the election authorities, and independent confirmation of the alleged voting irregularities was not available in the report.