The Shivamogga District Congress Committee kicked off its ‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chod’ (Vote Thief, Quit the Throne) protest campaign on Monday, making serious accusations of widespread vote theft.
Speaking at the event, Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa highlighted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has consistently presented documented evidence of these alleged electoral malpractices. Bangarappa stressed that preventing legitimate voters from casting their ballots fundamentally undermines democratic principles.
He further announced that the party intends to inform citizens across the state about these alleged discrepancies through an extensive campaign.
Congress MLC Manjunath Bhandary added weight to the allegations, citing documents released by Rahul Gandhi concerning the Mahadevapura and Aland Assembly constituencies. Bhandary asserted that these documents clearly reveal the alarming scale and impact of the alleged vote theft, effectively exposing the Election Commission’s perceived failures by presenting compelling public records.
Bhandary criticized the Election Commission, stating that while it ought to investigate these serious claims of vote manipulation, it has instead reportedly blamed the Congress for bringing its alleged inefficiencies to light.
Adding another layer to their protest, Congress leaders initiated a signature campaign to gather public support against the alleged vote theft. Prominent figures present at the launch included Congress district president R. Prasanna Kumar, MLC Balkhees Banu, Ayanur Manjunath, and H.S. Sundaresh, among others.