Karnataka mulls forming SIT after Rahul Gandhi's 'vote chori' allegations in Aland

The Karnataka Government is considering the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of “vote chori” in several constituencies across the state.

According to sources, the SIT is likely to be headed by senior IPS officer BK Singh. The move comes amid mounting concerns over irregularities reported during recent elections in different parts of Karnataka.

The development follows a high-profile claim by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who presented what he called "undeniable proof" of systemic voter fraud by the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI). Gandhi alleged that poll body chief Gyanesh Kumar was knowingly shielding the perpetrators.

At a press conference in Delhi, Gandhi claimed that names were being struck off electoral rolls through software manipulation and fake applications, with minorities specifically targeted. He cited case studies from Karnataka's Aland constituency, alleging that 6,018 votes were deleted, with the total number suspected to be higher.

Gandhi described how the alleged tampering came to light when a booth-level officer noticed her uncle’s name had disappeared from the rolls. "She checked who deleted her uncle’s vote, and she found that it was a neighbour. She asked her neighbour, but they said I did not delete any vote. Neither the person deleting the vote nor the person whose vote was deleted knew. Some other force hijacked the process and deleted the vote," he said.

The Congress leader’s presentation has put pressure on the Karnataka Government to act, prompting discussions on forming the SIT to investigate the allegations thoroughly. Meanwhile, the Election Commission rejected Gandhi’s claims as baseless, stating that no deletion of votes can occur online by any member of the public.

Officials said the proposed SIT would be tasked with gathering evidence, identifying perpetrators, and ensuring that the electoral process remains free and fair, while the Government finalises the team’s composition and mandate. The move is being viewed as an effort to address questions over electoral integrity and restore public trust in Karnataka’s voting system.

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