Congress claims over 1.12 crore signatures collected in Karnataka against alleged voter fraud
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday announced that the Congress party has collected 1,12,40,000 signatures from Karnataka as part of the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) national signature campaign against alleged voter fraud across the country.
Addressing a joint press conference at Bharat Jodo Bhavan in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said that signatures were collected from all 224 assembly constituencies and 40 political districts of the state. “Our workers have worked with great sincerity. Except for a few places, the campaign has received excellent response everywhere. The signatures have been collected booth-wise to create public awareness about electoral manipulation,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister added that the signed petitions would be sent to New Delhi on November 10, accompanied by district presidents who played a key role in the campaign. “A massive rally will be organized at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 25. This movement will not stop here; where the campaign is incomplete, it will continue for a few more days,” he said.
Highlighting alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, Shivakumar said the government was also considering conducting local body elections through paper ballots. “When we sought information and supporting evidence for our complaints, the Election Commission itself asked us for proof. Hence, we are exploring voting through paper ballots,” he remarked.
He praised the Karnataka unit’s efforts, claiming it led the country in mobilization for the campaign. “This success belongs to our booth-level agents, block presidents, MLAs, district leaders, and candidates. I also extend my appreciation to Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for leading this fight to protect democracy and the Constitution,” he said.
Citing the case of Mahadevapura constituency, Shivakumar alleged that over one lakh fraudulent votes were registered, including multiple votes from single households and even from commercial establishments. He said investigations in Aland and other constituencies revealed mass voter deletions and manipulation of electoral rolls through fake applications and misuse of Form 7.
He urged the Election Commission to take responsibility for ensuring free and fair elections, adding that the Congress will continue its campaign until the alleged electoral irregularities are fully addressed.
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