Have 100% proof of EC allowing cheating in Karnataka, will not allow poll body to get away with it: Rahul

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday stepped up attack on Election Commission, claiming that it has "concrete 100% proof" of cheating in a Karnataka seat where thousands of new voters who are "way above 18 years" were enrolled ahead of Lok Sabha polls and warned the poll body that it will not get away with this "because we are going to come for you".

The Leader of Opposition told reporters in Parliament House that the poll panel is "not functioning as the Election Commission of India" and the "fact of the matter" is that it is "not doing its job".

Rahul's assertions prompted Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar to allege election irregularities in Bangalore Rural, where his brother DK Suresh lost to BJP's Dr CN Manjunath by 2.69 lakh votes. “I have started my own investigation in the Bangalore Rural constituency. Many irregularities took place there,” he said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said it is now “becoming increasingly evident” that the Congress’ setback was “not due to public opinion but due to the illegal manipulation of the electoral process”", which is “carried out by the BJP by misusing the EC”. He said they were consulting Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul on the future course of action.

An EC spokesperson said out of the ten election petitions, not a single one was filed by any losing Congress candidate. "The EC is wondering as to why such baseless and threatening allegations are being made against CEC and that too now," the spokesperson added.

The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer said 9.17 lakh claims and objections were received for consideration between draft and final publication of electoral rolls, which were shared with parties. The CEO also said no appeals were received about wrongful additions or deletions in the electoral rolls.

Rahul said the Congress has "now has concrete 100% proof of the EC allowing the "cheating" in a seat in Karnataka and it is "not 90%, when we decide to show it to you, it is 100% proof. We looked at just one seat and found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency, this is the drama that is taking place".

"Thousands and thousands new voters...how old are they?...50 (years), 45, 60, 65...new voters, thousands and thousands of new voters in Karnataka. This is one thing, voter deletion, voter addition, new voters who are way above 18 (is going on)...we have caught them," he said.

"I want to send a message to the Election Commission -- if you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they are going to get away with this, you are mistaken, you are not going to get away with this because we are going to come for you," he said.

On Wednesday, Rahul claimed that the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka was “stolen” and the Congress has unearthed the modus operandi, prompting the Election Commission to change it in Bihar.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress won nine seats, up from one, while BJP got 17 and JD(S) 2. BJP had won eight seats less compared to the 2019 elections.

2019 Lok Sabha polls

BJP: 25 seats with 51.38% vote share

Congress: 1 seat with 31.88% vote share

JD(S): 1 seat with 9.67% vote share

2024 Lok Sabha polls

BJP: 17 seats with 46.35% vote share

Congress: 9 seats with 45.64% vote share

JD(S): 2 seats with 5.63% vote share