Siddaramaiah alleges voter fraud ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s Bengaluru protest on 5 August

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday alleged that voter fraud took place in the Assembly segments of Mahadevapura and Rajajinagar during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His statement came ahead of a protest to be led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Bengaluru on 5 August.

In a post on X, Siddaramaiah said, “Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi has credible evidence of voter fraud in the Assembly constituencies of Mahadevapura and Rajajinagar during the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. To highlight this serious issue, he will lead a protest in Bengaluru on August 5 and meet with the State Chief Electoral Officer.”

State Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday that the details of Gandhi’s program would be finalized after consultations with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary. He added that all party leaders had been asked to join the protest and that a block-level meeting would be held on 3 August.

Shivakumar said Congress leaders had met police officials to discuss the protest arrangements, which were subject to certain technical and court-related conditions. “We will make a decision after meeting senior leaders. Our national leaders will share more details on election fraud in Karnataka on that day,” he said.

Defending Gandhi’s decision to protest in Karnataka despite upcoming elections in Bihar, Shivakumar said, “It is not the question of Karnataka or Bihar, it is a question of election sanctity.”

Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed he had “100 per cent proof” that the Election Commission “allowed cheating” in a Karnataka Lok Sabha constituency, alleging that elections were being “stolen”. “I am absolutely convinced that in constituency after constituency, this is the drama that is taking place. Thousands and thousands of new voters (were added),” he said.