The party said that while the masks of people sitting in power has changed, the faces remain the same. (Representational Image) The party said that while the masks of people sitting in power has changed, the faces remain the same. (Representational Image)

Accusing its ally BJP of tampering with EVMs to win Saturday’s Karnataka elections, the Shiv Sena on Friday claimed that people don’t trust the current system of polling any more. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the party said: “When former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi won a massive mandate, the late Sena chief (Bal Thackeray) had questioned her win, saying it was not the victory of ‘bai’ (Indira), but that of ‘shai’ (ink).”

Alleging that the Congress had indulged in malpractices in various elections, it added: “Now, the ink rule is over but the BJP is tampering with EVMs to win the polls. People don’t trust the current system of elections now. To say that Modi can’t be defeated till EVMs are there, is the defeat of democracy.”

The party said that while the masks of people sitting in power has changed, the faces remain the same. “The BJP hasn’t defeated the Congress but it has merged it within itself. Ultimately, the Congress has won,” it added.

“(PM Narendra) Modi talks about ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’. But although the Congress is coming to an end, its thoughts are not dying. The BJP is trying to finish the Congress by imbibing its qualities,” it said.

The recovery of 10,000 “fake” voter ID cards in Bengaluru shows how the electoral process in Karnataka has touched a new low, the Sena said. “…The fake voter ID cards recovered from one Assembly has raised questions on who is running the election process in other Assembly seats through such bogus ID cards…,” the editorial said.

Alleging that a huge sum of money is being used in the elections, the Sena said: “From where the BJP gets so much money is no more a secret, as everyone knows the truth.” “Ahead of any election, from gram panchayat to Lok Sabha, money starts flowing… and it seems that the notes are being printed by Mudra Bank in every house,” said the party, adding that the Congress used to do this in the past and the BJP has now adopted the same method.

On Congress’ allegation that BJP has copied its election manifesto, the editorial said: “In short, the BJP is ready to bear all the cost to win the polls, which was the Congress policy, and is going ahead step by step. The Congress might be feeling proud that the BJP is taking forward its ideology and work.”

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