A conspiracy of 'vote theft' has come to light in Karnataka's Aland assembly constituency. An SIT investigation identified six suspects who were paid 80 rupees for fraudulently removing names from the voter list. The matter has escalated into a political controversy.
Karnataka: A major revelation linked to the 2023 assembly elections has emerged in Karnataka. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged 'vote theft' in the Aland assembly constituency has found that a conspiracy was hatched to fraudulently remove names from the voter list. So far, six suspects have been identified in the investigation, who were paid up to 80 rupees for each name removed.
Conspiracy to Remove Votes Uncovered in Aland
This case pertains to the Aland assembly constituency in Kalaburagi district, located in the northern region of Karnataka. This is the home district of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress MLA B.R. Patil won the election from this seat. It has been revealed that thousands of fake applications were submitted to the voter list before the assembly elections, with the aim of removing the names of Congress-supporting voters from the list.
The SIT investigation revealed that 6,994 applications were submitted to remove names from the voter list. Only a few of these were genuine cases, while the rest were found to be fraudulent. According to top CID sources, suspects were paid 80 rupees for each fake application. This means approximately 4.8 lakh rupees were spent in total on this scam.
Data Centre Sending Fake Applications
The investigation also revealed that all these applications were sent from a data operating center located in Kalaburagi. This center is being described as the main hub of the entire vote-cutting network. The Congress states that 6,018 applications were completely fake, intentionally entered into the system to remove the votes of Dalits and minorities.
Congress Leaders Exposed the Plot
Congress MLA B.R. Patil and Minister Priyank Kharge were the first to expose this alleged 'vote theft' conspiracy. Both leaders lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka. Following this, the CEO immediately halted the process of removing votes and ordered an investigation into the matter.
Priyank Kharge stated that if all these names had been removed from the voter list, the election results could have completely changed. B.R. Patil called the conspiracy a profound ploy against democracy. He had defeated BJP candidate Subhash Gutthedar in the 2023 assembly election by approximately 10,000 votes.
Rahul Gandhi Also Raised the Issue
The issue gained further traction when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised the matter on a national platform during a press conference in New Delhi. Citing the Aland assembly constituency as an example, he stated that the BJP was attempting to weaken democracy. Rahul Gandhi claimed that this was not just an isolated case from one assembly seat, but part of a nationwide conspiracy of vote theft.
SIT Action
Given the seriousness of the allegations, the Karnataka government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by B.K. Singh, Additional Director General of Police in CID. The SIT raided the locations of suspects in this case. Sources indicated that arrests of the suspects could happen soon.
During the raids, the investigation team also searched the premises of BJP leader Subhash Gutthedar, his sons Harshanand and Santosh Gutthedar, and his chartered accountant. During this, the team found burnt voter records near Gutthedar's house. When questioned about it, he stated that staff had burnt old papers and waste during Diwali, and it had no connection to any conspiracy.
Congress Alleges: Attack on Democracy
Following the SIT investigation, the Congress has directly attacked the BJP. Repeating its election slogan 'Vote Thief, Quit the Throne', the party stated that the BJP has now been exposed before the nation. Congress leaders assert that this 'vote theft' is not limited to a single seat, but is an attack on the fundamental principles of democracy.
Congress spokespersons stated that the rights of the poor and marginalized communities are being snatched away. Attempts are being made to suppress their voices by trying to remove their votes. The party declared that this is an assault on the soul of democracy, where attempts are being made to go to any lengths for power.
BJP's Clarification
The BJP has denied any conspiracy in the entire matter. Subhash Gutthedar stated that it is a political conspiracy by the Congress. He challenged them to present any evidence in court if they possess it. BJP leaders claim that the Congress is trying to gain public sympathy by making this issue an election matter.
