Bengaluru, Sep 19 — The controversy over alleged large-scale voter deletions in Karnataka intensified on Thursday, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and senior state ministers supporting opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s accusations of “vote chori” and accusing the Election Commission (EC) of obstructing a state-led investigation.
Siddaramaiah alleges large-scale voter manipulation
Addressing the media, Siddaramaiah said, “Today’s revelations by Rahul Gandhi have again exposed how Indian democracy is being subverted through systematic and centralised attempts at vote chori.” He pointed to the Aland case in Kalaburagi district, describing it as “not an isolated incident but a window to a larger conspiracy to manipulate electoral rolls and deny citizens their voting rights.”
According to the CM, between February 2022 and February 2023, 6,018 Form 7 applications were filed for voter deletions in Aland. However, inquiries revealed that only 24 applications were genuine while 5,994 were fraudulent. “Stolen voter details, fake logins, and mobile numbers from outside Karnataka were used,” Siddaramaiah added.
EC accused of non-cooperation
The Chief Minister said that Karnataka CID had repeatedly requested technical data from the Election Commission over 18 months, but the EC refused to share the information. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar supported the claims, stating: “What Rahul Gandhi has said is a fact. There is nothing wrong with it… They wanted to delete a very large number of votes. Ultimately, we found it out.”
Priyank Kharge, IT-BT Minister, described Aland as “a shocking case of large-scale voter deletion” and alleged that strong Congress booths, particularly those with Dalit and minority voters, were targeted. He questioned, “Who approved deletion of records? Where is the OTP audit trail? Why is EC refusing to cooperate with CID?”
Law Minister HK Patil added that “society has accepted that rigging of votes has 100% happened… This is unpardonable.” Aland MLA BR Patil further alleged that minorities and backward classes were selectively targeted in the deletion process.
EC refutes allegations
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar refuted the claims, stating: “In the Aland case, 6,018 Form 7 applications were received online in December 2022. After verification, only 24 were found to be genuine. An FIR was registered on February 22, 2023. On September 6, 2023, all available details — including objector information, EPIC numbers, mobile logins, IP addresses and submission data — were shared with the SP, Kalaburagi. Meetings with the investigating officer and cyber experts were also held, and the CEO’s office continues to extend full cooperation.”
The contrasting positions of the state government and the Election Commission have added fuel to the debate over voter deletions in Karnataka. With the political climate heating up ahead of future elections, this controversy is expected to remain in focus, drawing scrutiny from national leaders and electoral authorities alike.