With the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) poised to return to power in Bihar with an overwhelming majority, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday echoed the “vote chori” (vote theft) allegation raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming that similar irregularities occurred in Karnataka as well.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had earlier accused the BJP-led NDA of engaging in “vote chori” in Haryana and Karnataka. Siddaramaiah backed the allegation but offered no specific details.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister admitted that he was still unaware of the factors behind the Congress–RJD alliance’s setback in Bihar and the NDA's strong performance.
“We have to accept the mandate of the people. I don’t know what caused the setback. I had not gone to Bihar. I don’t know who didn’t vote for us or why the NDA won with such a big majority. I will try to find out,” Siddaramaiah said.
Responding to a question on why OBC voters in Bihar did not favour the Congress despite being a decisive bloc, Siddaramaiah countered: “I don’t know. Who is Nitish Kumar? Isn’t he OBC?”
When asked again about the Congress’s allegation of “vote chori,” he remarked, “They have done chori here too,” but refrained from elaborating.
According to the latest trends, the NDA is on course to cross the 200-seat mark in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.
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