Vote Chori Truth Emerging, Say Congress Leaders As SIT Probe Gathers Pace In Aland

Gururaj A Paniyadi

Kalaburagi: Senior Congress leaders have expressed satisfaction over the progress of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged illegal deletion of thousands of voters in Aland constituency of Kalaburagi district — a controversy the party has termed as “Vote Chori” (vote theft).

Minister for IT-BT and Kalaburagi MLA Priyank Kharge said the SIT’s findings have vindicated the Congress’s long-standing claim that a large-scale manipulation of electoral rolls was carried out ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.

“Voters were deleted for just Rs 80 in Aland. The SIT has now confirmed what we’ve been saying all along — over 6,000 genuine voters were struck off the rolls through a paid operation. A full-fledged data centre was functioning in Kalaburagi, where operators systematically deleted voters’ names, undermining our democracy,” Kharge said.

He further alleged that the investigation clearly points towards the involvement of BJP leaders and their associates. “Every dirty trick from the BJP’s Vote Chori playbook is being exposed, piece by piece. Those who conspired to delete voters will face the law and end up behind bars,” he asserted.

Aland MLA BR Patil, whose early complaint had prompted the returning officer to act, leading first to a CID probe and later the formation of the SIT, said he was satisfied with the way the probe was being conducted. “Rahul Gandhi ji had spoken about Vote Chori — and now we are seeing proof of it. Earlier, the CID had sought information from the Election Commission 18 times but received no response. If the EC had cooperated, the investigation would have been completed by now. Why is the Election Commission hiding facts?” he questioned.

KPCC Working President Vasanth Kumar also said the SIT probe had brought out damning evidence. “When the SIT team visited Aland, they found voter ID cards and electoral rolls burnt. This shows clear evidence of tampering. The Election Commission must take this seriously and initiate strict action,” he said.

Vasanth Kumar added that such incidents may not be confined to Aland alone. “We have instructed our MLAs and local leaders to stay alert and report similar cases in their constituencies to the SIT,” he said. He also accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“RSS functionaries quietly visit constituencies, study voting patterns, and identify anti-BJP voters — particularly Dalits, Muslims, Christians, and OBCs — who are then targeted for deletion,” he alleged.

Kumar further urged the Election Commission to provide a “technical and practical assurance” on the safety and transparency of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT systems.