Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday (August 9, 2025) that the Law Department will conduct an inquiry into the issue pertaining to the alleged ‘’vote fraud’’ during the Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to media persons at the Mysuru airport, Mr. Siddaramaiah said whatever action is possible will be initiated based on the recommendations of the department. He was responding to the media query on Rahul Gandhi’s suggestion that the government should act on ‘’vote fraud’’.
Mr. Gandhi had alleged that 1,00,250 ‘fake votes’ were created in Mahadevapura to ensure a BJP win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In response to a question on whether the issue could be examined in its entirety before the BBMP elections, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the Advocate General will be instructed to conduct the inquiry quickly and submit a report.
On BJP’s allegation that the Congress was belatedly raising the issue of the alleged vote fraud, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the internal survey of the Congress indicated that the party would win 16 seats but could win only 9 seats.
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“Now, Rahul Gandhi has referred to the official records and presented the details with evidence and all this information is available with the State and the Central Election Commission. We came to know of the irregularities only after studying the matter,” said Mr. Siddaramaiah, and questioned how 80 persons could live in a single room.
In response to a question of whether the judiciary should suo motu intervene in a vote fraud case, the CM did not make a direct reply but said that the Congress has been stating for a long time that elections were being manipulated and so were the voters list and the EVMs. “What Rahul Gandhi has presented before the media is true,” he added.
Responding to the allegations of former Minister C.M. Ibrahim that Mr. Siddaramaiah had ‘’purchased’’ 3000 votes in Badami in the 2018 elections, the Chief Minister said that he had been to Badami only twice. ‘’I went to Badami once to file the nomination and once for campaigning. Beyond that I know nothing and this issue is new to me. The query should be directed to him (Ibrahim),” he added.
When questioned about an election speech Mr. Siddaramaiah made years ago but has gone viral now, in which he alluded to dead people having exercised their franchise in the by-elections, the Chief Minister said the Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible if votes have been cast in the name of the dead.