States » SouthPosted at: Oct 30 2026 7:00PM


BJP alleges fake voting in Haveri MLC polls, seeks arrests

Bengaluru, Oct 30 (UNI) BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginkai on Friday accused the Congress of electoral malpractice in the recent Karnataka West Graduates' Constituency Legislative Council election, alleging that a woman other than the registered voter cast a vote in the name of the wife of Haveri District Congress president Sanjeevkumar Patil alias Neeralagi.
Producing a video and other documents to substantiate his allegations, Tenginkai claimed that Shilpa Budenavar had cast the vote in the name of Asha Patil at polling booth number 85, despite the latter not being present at the polling station.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters Jagannath Bhavan here, he said Asha Patil's name figured at serial number 50 in the electoral roll, but her vote was allegedly cast by Budenavar, who accompanied Minister Rudrappa Lamani to the polling booth.
The BJP MLA further alleged that Budenavar was not a graduate and was therefore not eligible to vote in the Graduates' constituency election. He displayed a ballot paper bearing her photograph and another photograph purportedly showing her with Sanjeevkumar Patil and Congress workers.
Calling for accountability, Tenginkai demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi watch the video and seek an explanation from the state leadership.
He said Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president should BK Hariprasad first clarify the allegations of malpractice in Haveri before raising questions about electoral irregularities elsewhere.
The BJP had staged a protest in Haveri over the incident, following which an official, VG Mallur, was suspended, he said. Tenginkai added that complaints had been lodged with the police and the Election Commission and demanded the arrest of those allegedly involved in the fake voting.
Linking the controversy to the Congress government's guarantee schemes, he questioned whether Budenavar, whom he identified as a member of the Haveri Guarantee Committee, would be removed from the panel.
Tenginkai also alleged that electoral malpractice was inherent in the Congress party and accused it of attempting to shift responsibility onto others. He cited the NDA's victory in all four Graduate and Teachers' constituency seats in the recent Legislative Council elections.
In a separate issue, the BJP MLA sought an explanation from the state government over Rs 5,000 crore allegedly meant for women's guarantee scheme payments for February and March 2025. He said the issue had been raised during the Belagavi legislature session but the government had not provided clarity on the whereabouts of the amount.
He demanded that the Chief Minister explain the status of the funds.
Tenginkai also criticised remarks attributed to Hariprasad regarding financial support to organisations campaigning against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the Congress was extending funding to groups working to create instability in the country.
UNI BDN
Tags: #BJP alleges fake voting in Haveri MLC polls# seeks arrests
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