Mysuru: KPCC spokesperson M Lakshmana, who contested unsuccessfully in the Lok Sabha polls from the Mysore constituency in April/May 2024, accused the BJP (BJP) on Wednesday of rigging electronic voting machines (EVMs) to secure the victory for their candidate Yaduveer Wadiyar. He demanded an in-depth investigation into it.Speaking to reporters, Lakshmana claimed that out of 2,202 polling booths in Mysuru, 292 were subject to EVM rigging, affecting 1.45 lakh votes. Of these, Congress secured only 22,000 votes, a sharp decline from the 50-60% vote share the party typically received in these booths over the past four elections, he claimed. Lakshmana highlighted an instance where a booth with around 750 votes from 15 Congress workers’ households yielded just seven votes for the party. Similar irregularities were reported in Shanti Nagar under the Narasimharaja constituency.Tipu built a barrage: KPCC spokespersonMeanwhile, he rejected the allegations levelled by BJP functionaries against Congress regarding Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan’s connection with the KRS dam construction. Lakshmana defended district minister HC Mahadevappa’s statement crediting Tipu with laying the foundation for the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam, calling it “100% true.” “Tipu built a barrage, known as Movi Dam, with a 6 TMC water storage capacity at the same site, which supplied water to Srirangapatna and KR Nagar. The KRS dam was later constructed by the Maharajas at this location, supported by documentary evidence,” he said.He also defended MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah’s claim that chief minister Siddaramaiah contributed more to Mysuru than Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, citing the CM’s efforts in providing water, building hospitals, and improving roads in a democratic setup.
