In a major political move, the Karnataka Congress on Saturday announced that it had collected 1.1 crore signatures from citizens across the state as part of the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) nationwide campaign against what it calls large-scale voter fraud.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, D. K. Shivakumar, made a rare joint appearance in Bengaluru to unveil the results of the campaign. The event, seen as a show of unity between the two leaders despite ongoing differences over leadership issues, marked one of the Congress’s most aggressive pushes ahead of upcoming elections.

Campaign against alleged electoral irregularities

The Congress leaders presented a set of documents alleging serious discrepancies in electoral rolls, though The Times of India reported that it could not independently verify these claims.

Addressing the media, Siddaramaiah said the signatures and supporting documents would be submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and President Droupadi Murmu. “This is not just about one election. It is about protecting democracy and the Constitution,” he stated.

The Chief Minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of manipulating voter lists in several Karnataka constituencies. “Ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre, constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission and the CBI have lost their independence. The BJP is unparalleled when it comes to lying and voter fraud. We will not tolerate this,” Siddaramaiah declared.

Shivakumar blames EC, cites examples from other states

Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, launched a direct attack on the Election Commission. He accused the poll body of failing to curb what he called “large-scale irregularities” in the voter rolls.

“In Haryana, Rahul Gandhi exposed 25 lakh fake votes, but the Commission did nothing. It has become an agent of the BJP,” Shivakumar charged. He further alleged that similar patterns were evident in Karnataka.

According to him, several assembly constituencies, including Mahadevapura in Bengaluru and Aland in Kalaburagi district, were found to have glaring anomalies. “In Mahadevapura, some houses had more than 80 registered voters, and even bars had 70 to 80 names on the voter list,” he said.

Irregularities in Aland constituency

Drawing attention to the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into alleged irregularities in the Aland constituency, Shivakumar said that fake deletion requests were filed in the early hours of the day to remove legitimate voters.

“At 4 a.m., fake deletion requests were filed, resulting in 14 deletions within 17 minutes. Nearly 6,000 names were deleted in total,” he claimed. The deputy CM added that mobile numbers from other states were used to manipulate electoral records and alleged that ₹80 per deleted vote was paid during the process.

He further accused BJP’s Subhash Guthedar, a candidate from the constituency, of being involved in the burning of voter lists.

BJP hits back, dismisses allegations as political theatre

Responding to the Congress allegations, former minister and BJP MLA S. Suresh Kumar dismissed the claims as “baseless and politically motivated.”

“With Congress facing a likely defeat in the Bihar assembly elections, the two leaders appear to be seeking an excuse by making false allegations of voter fraud,” Kumar said. He accused the Congress of attempting to divert attention from internal discord and governance issues in Karnataka.

A show of unity amid leadership differences

Political observers noted that the joint appearance of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar carried symbolic importance. The two leaders, often seen as rivals within the state unit, have publicly disagreed over leadership matters and power-sharing equations.

Their united front on the voter fraud issue, however, signals an effort by the party to project cohesion ahead of key political battles in 2026. “Despite internal differences, both leaders understand that unity is essential to challenge the BJP effectively,” a senior Congress insider said.

Congress to submit evidence to authorities

The Congress party said it would soon submit the compiled 1.1 crore signatures, along with supporting evidence, to the Election Commission and Rashtrapati Bhavan. The documents reportedly include lists of alleged fake and duplicate voters, as well as cases of unauthorised deletions from electoral rolls.

“The purpose of this campaign is not only to highlight the irregularities but also to demand systemic reforms that ensure transparency and accountability in elections,” said a Congress spokesperson.

Conclusion

As political tensions escalate, the Congress’s signature campaign against voter fraud has added a new flashpoint in Karnataka’s already charged political atmosphere. While the ruling Congress claims to be fighting for electoral integrity, the BJP accuses it of preemptively blaming institutions ahead of potential electoral setbacks. The coming weeks are likely to see both parties intensify their campaigns — one defending democracy, the other its credibility.