E-Paper
CM voices support for claims of voter list fraud
Siddaramaiah defended Rahul Gandhi's claims of voter list manipulation in Karnataka, criticizing the Election Commission's inaction and discussing socio-economic surveys.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim of large-scale voter list manipulation in Karnataka, stating that such tampering may have influenced the outcome of the recent Lok Sabha elections. He also took aim at the Election Commission, arguing that the constitutional body had failed to act decisively in previous complaints related to voter rolls.
Responding to the poll panel’s comment that the Congress had not submitted a formal complaint regarding alleged voter fraud, Siddaramaiah said, “Even if voter manipulation has occurred, by the time the legal process is complete, the government’s term is over. That’s the reality we are dealing with.” He added that in several cases, the Election Commission had reacted negatively when concerns about voter lists were raised.
Citing irregularities during the 2024 general elections, he said, “In the last Lok Sabha elections, names of eligible voters were removed from the list, and new names of people unrelated to the constituency were added. This could have happened across the country.”
He pointed to the Bengaluru Central seat as an example. “Congress was leading in every Assembly segment of the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency. But because of what happened in the Mahadevapura segment, the party lost,” he said. Siddaramaiah also noted that Rahul Gandhi had raised this matter both inside and outside Parliament, and claimed that the Congress leader possesses evidence to support his allegations.
The chief minister made these remarks during a press conference at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, where he also detailed the objectives of the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) OBC division’s “Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan”, a campaign pushing for a nationwide caste-based socio-economic survey.
“A survey like this is essential if we are serious about bringing backward communities into the mainstream. For that, we need detailed information about the economic, social, educational, and political conditions of every citizen,” he said. “Our Constitution supports social justice. To assess whether equality has truly been achieved since Independence, such a survey is necessary.”
He emphasised that Rahul Gandhi is committed to this vision. “Rahul Gandhi is determined to conduct a socio-economic survey, not just a caste census. Only when both are conducted together can we ensure justice for the backward classes. That is the core objective of this initiative,” Siddaramaiah said.
He clarified that the survey would not be limited to the OBC population. “This is not just about OBCs. In Karnataka, the socio-economic survey will cover all seven crore (70 million) people,” he said.
Siddaramaiah, a member of the AICC’s OBC advisory board, recalled that the state had started a similar survey in 2015. However, the data collected during the coalition government in 2018 was never officially accepted. “Since the data is now outdated, we are initiating a fresh survey in Karnataka,” he said.
He said that the Congress party had resolved to replicate Telangana’s model of caste enumeration across all states. “It was only after Rahul Gandhi brought the issue of social justice to the forefront that the central government agreed to consider conducting a caste census,” Siddaramaiah noted.
Taking aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its criticism of the AICC’s OBC outreach, Siddaramaiah accused the party of lacking commitment to the principles of social justice. “When has the BJP ever respected the Constitution?” he asked. “They opposed the Mandal Commission report, launched the Kamandal Yatra in response, and provoked 200 suicides. Who opposed reservations in higher education institutions in 1993? Who stood against the 74th Constitutional Amendment?”
On speculation that Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala had met senior North Indian bureaucrats to discuss political strategy, Siddaramaiah clarified, “He has not held any meetings with officials.”
Siddaramaiah also addressed the Mahadayi river water dispute and Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant’s recent remarks opposing Karnataka’s project. “The Mahadayi issue has already been resolved in court. Goa’s chief minister has no locus standi to approach the courts now. The Supreme Court and the tribunal have already settled the matter. What remains is environmental clearance, which is the Centre’s responsibility,” he said.
