Bengaluru, May 5 -- A fresh political storm erupted in Karnataka on Tuesday after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged "vote theft" and a "criminal conspiracy" in the controversial Sringeri postal ballot recount case, raising serious questions over the integrity of election records and the handling of sealed ballot material.
The controversy, linked to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, has escalated beyond a constituency-level dispute into a wider political battle over the credibility of postal ballots and election procedures in the state.
Addressing reporters here, Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy to manipulate postal ballots in favour of BJP leader D N Jeevaraj during the recount process ordered by the Karna...