DAVANAGERE
Confusion and controversy marked the counting process of the Davanagere South Assembly by-election after officials found the strong room locks missing before vote counting began.
Congress candidate Samarth Shamanur emerged victorious in the closely contested election. However, the incident during the counting process sparked suspicion among Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and supporters. According to officials, the locks of the strong room could not be located, forcing authorities to break open the room in the presence of candidates’ agents before counting the votes.
Reacting to the defeat of BJP candidate Srinivas Dasakariappa, former Member of Parliament G.M. Siddeshwar questioned the unusual development. He said he had never previously heard of a strong room being opened in such a manner during an election counting process.
The incident has led to political debate, with opposition leaders demanding clarity and proper explanation from election officials over the matter.
