Karnataka Election Fraud: SIT Finds Voter List Tampering in Multiple Constituencies

The probe into the manipulation of voter lists ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections appears to be wider than initially believed. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police has reportedly discovered that attempts to fraudulently delete voter names were not confined to Aland constituency alone. Evidence now points to similar activities in at least two more constituencies in Kalaburagi district.

Data Centre Linked to Multiple Constituencies

Sources said several local BJP leaders in the Kalaburagi region had approached a data centre accused of making illegal online applications to remove voters' names. Investigators have learned that "an agreement was signed for changes to voter lists on behalf of a candidate from another constituency in the Kalaburagi region with the data centre."

An official involved in the case stated, "In one constituency (of Gulbarga city) as many as 35,000 voter names (primarily minorities) were manipulated."

As reported by The Indian Express, the SIT has traced financial transactions between a Kalaburagi-based accountant and the data centre operators. "The accountant was a key player," sources revealed, adding that his laptop had been seized as part of the investigation.

Money Trail and Suspected Operators

The Indian Express report noted that employees at the Kalaburagi data centre were paid ₹80 for every online application. The centre was allegedly managed by local residents Mohammed Ashfaq and Md Akram, both questioned by investigators in 2023. While Ashfaq has since moved to Dubai, three data entry operators linked to the case have also been interrogated.

Officials said that crucial evidence had been found in connection with Aland, but the SIT's mandate currently does not extend to probing alleged irregularities in other Kalaburagi constituencies.

Political Blame Game Intensifies

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had cited the Aland case last month as an example of "vote chori." Meanwhile, BJP's Chandrakanth Patil, who narrowly lost from Gulbarga North in 2023, dismissed allegations that party candidates were involved in any wrongdoing.

"If any agreement was signed with operators of the data centre for voter list additions and deletions, it may have been done by local BJP leaders such as corporators, and not the BJP candidate themselves, and would have been done 'legally'," as The Indian Express quoted him.

Patil maintained that the party's voter list revisions were lawful and transparent. "Local leaders conducted camps in every locality for revision in voter lists. They put up banners and advertisements in papers... it was done legally," he said.

He also accused the Congress of attempting similar tactics, claiming that "there are more than 30,000 bogus votes among minorities in Gulbarga Uttar."

Congress Says Findings Confirm Allegations

Congress minister Priyank Kharge asserted that the SIT's discoveries validated the party's long-standing claims. "All investigations now point to foul play by BJP leaders and their associates. Every dirty trick and modus operandi from the BJP's 'vote chori' playbook will be exposed and every single person responsible will be put behind bars," Kharge said.

Kalaburagi has remained a Congress stronghold for years, supported largely by Dalit, backward, and minority voters. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has represented the region multiple times, both as MLA and MP.

Narrow Margins and Targeted Deletions

Sources familiar with the investigation said that constituencies with slim victory margins were most vulnerable to voter list manipulation. In the 2023 elections, the Congress dominated Kalaburagi, but many contests were decided by narrow gaps.

The SIT also raided properties linked to BJP leader Subhash Guttedar, who lost the Aland seat, and seized several documents. Guttedar dismissed allegations of wrongdoing, saying the investigators "found nothing." He claimed, "They alleged we burnt documents (ahead of the raids). Everybody cleans their house for Deepavali, and the same was done at mine. It is trash that was burnt."

Congress MLA B R Patil and his son, Satyajit Patil, alleged that voter deletions in Aland were deliberate and targeted Congress strongholds. "We think that a study of the previous polling patterns across the 254 booths in Aland was done. Survey work may have been done too," said Satyajit.

Rahul Gandhi also claimed that "the top 10 booths with maximum deletions were Congress strongholds. And the Congress had won eight of these 10 booths in 2018. It is not a coincidence but a planned operation."

How the Aland Case Unfolded

The controversy began when Congress candidate B R Patil flagged suspicious voter deletions during the Election Commission's revision drive between December 2022 and February 2023. Having earlier lost the 2018 contest by just 697 votes, he lodged a complaint alleging that over 6,600 voter names were removed without consent.

Following this, the Aland Returning Officer filed a police complaint on February 21, 2023, stating that unknown persons had "used multiple mobile phones to place online applications for deletion of names of voters without the consent or knowledge of the voters."

Verification by election officials revealed that 6,018 names were marked for deletion, but only 24 were genuine removals. The SIT is still probing how the data centre operators obtained access to the Election Commission portal, allegedly using over 3,000 fake phone numbers to file applications "almost instantaneously."