‘Every signature strengthens our fight’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah backs campaign against ‘vote chori’

His endorsement comes a day after Priyanka Gandhi released a video urging citizens to sign up for the Congress campaign, stressing that “every signature counts” and that democracy can only be safeguarded if the sanctity of the vote is protected.

New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday came out in support of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s campaign against alleged “vote chori” and urged people to join the signature drive to “protect democracy”.

“I wholeheartedly support Smt. Priyanka Gandhi ji’s call against #VoteChori. Every vote matters, every signature strengthens our fight. Let us unite to protect the principle of one person, one vote and defend our democracy,” Siddaramaiah posted on X.

The issue has been at the centre of the Opposition’s offensive after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged systematic deletion and manipulation of electoral rolls in several states, including Karnataka and Maharashtra. 

Rahul also alleged names were deleted through software manipulation and fake applications in the Aland assembly seat in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district in 2023. He cited details of alleged attempts to delete 6,018 votes in Aland in the run-up to the 2023 assembly polls.

He accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of “shielding vote chors” and claimed there was “black and white proof” of voter lists being tampered with using software. Gandhi demanded that the Election Commission release detailed data within a week, warning that more “explosive evidence” would follow.

The Election Commission, however, has dismissed the charges as “baseless”, insisting that deletions follow due process and cannot be carried out without verification.