Rahul Gandhi exposed widespread vote theft in LS polls with evidence: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, Aug 7 (IANS) Defending LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's claims on alleged election fraud, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stated that the Congress MP on Thursday exposed -- with hard evidence -- how widespread vote theft took place across India in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

In his media statement, CM Siddaramaiah stated: "Despite massive public anger, Narendra Modi returned to power only through electoral fraud. The documents released by Rahul Gandhi today stand as clear proof."

He stated: "Narendra Modi became Prime Minister by misusing the Election Commission, stealing votes, and abusing power. He has no moral right to stay in office. He must resign and dissolve the government immediately."

The Congress Party will raise its voice nationwide and expose the BJP’s crimes to every citizen, he stated.

Under the guidance of Rahul Gandhi, a detailed six-month investigation was conducted into the voter records of Mahadevapura Assembly segment, which falls under the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency. The probe uncovered precise evidence of systematic vote theft, the CM said.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha Election, the BJP misused the Election Commission and illegally secured 1,00,250 votes in Mahadevapura -- a constituency with just around 3.25 lakh voters -- to win the seat, he alleged.

Five distinct methods of electoral malpractice were identified in Mahadevapura alone.

The first is about fake voters.

A total of 11,965 fake voters are estimated to have cast votes in this constituency. Some individuals voted in multiple polling booths, while others voted not only here but also in other parts of the state and even outside Karnataka. This points to a systematic and deliberate misuse of the electoral process, CM Siddaramaiah stated.

The second being, voters with fake addresses.

A total of 40,009 voters with fake addresses have been identified in this constituency.

Thousands of them are registered under non-existent addresses, including many with "House Number 0", random gibberish entered in place of father's or husband's names, and addresses that simply do not exist. These fake entries were used to facilitate large-scale vote theft, the CM stated.

The third is about voters registered under the same address. A total of 10,452 voters have been found to be registered under a handful of addresses. In one instance, 80 voter ID cards were issued using the address of a single-bedroom house. In another case, 68 voter IDs listed the address of a private club. Upon verification, it was confirmed that none of the listed voters actually reside there. This points to deliberate address manipulation for vote theft, he stated.

Unidentifiable voter photographs is the fourth method adopted to commit fraud. In total, 4,132 voter ID cards in this constituency either have missing photos or photos so small and unclear that the individuals cannot be identified. Yet, these unidentifiable voters were still able to cast their votes — a clear breach of the electoral process, the CM stated.

The fifth method is elderly "first-time voters" registered under Form 6. In this constituency, 33,692 voters aged between 60 and 90 years were found to have been registered as first-time voters through Form 6. The BJP often claims that new voters support Narendra Modi, but the reality is startling — even individuals aged 89 and 98 have allegedly voted for the first time. This exposes the depth and scale of the electoral fraud, CM Siddaramaiah stated.

Had the Election Commission acted impartially and provided the electronic data and CCTV footage that Rahul Gandhi requested, this scam could have been exposed within days of the election. Instead, the Commission deliberately altered its own rules to suppress information and cover up the truth. This is not a scam limited to Mahadevapura alone — it is now clear that the BJP has used similar vote theft tactics across the country to cling to power, CM Siddaramaiah stated.

--IANS

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