1.12 crore signatures collected in Karnataka against ‘vote theft’: DCM D.K. Shivakumar
“Government considering holding civic polls through ballot papers”
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar announced that 1,12,40,000 signatures have been collected across Karnataka as part of the Congress-led nationwide campaign against alleged “vote theft.”
Addressing a joint press conference at the Congress office, Bharat Jodo Bhavan, on Saturday, Shivakumar said, “Signatures have been collected from all Assembly constituencies and from our party’s 40 district divisions. Our workers have worked very sincerely. Except for a few places, the drive has been carried out effectively everywhere. Signatures have been collected booth-wise, and we are also spreading awareness among people about electoral manipulation.”
He said the collected petitions would be sent to Delhi on November 10, accompanied by district presidents who have taken major responsibility for the drive. “We plan to hold a massive rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi in the third week of November (Nov 25). The campaign will not stop here. In places where it has not yet been conducted, we’ll extend it for another three or four days,” he added.
Ballot paper elections for civic polls under consideration
“When we ask for supporting documents to investigate electoral fraud, the Election Commission itself demands evidence from us,” Shivakumar said. “Therefore, we are considering holding civic elections through ballot papers.”
He said Karnataka ranks first among all states that have successfully implemented the campaign. “The credit goes to our booth-level agents, block and district Congress presidents, MLAs, and even defeated candidates. I congratulate our leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, under whose leadership this campaign is being conducted,” he added.
Nationwide campaign to protect democracy and the Constitution
“Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, a massive national movement is being carried out to safeguard democracy, the Constitution, and the right to vote,” Shivakumar said.
He referred to the study conducted in the Mahadevapura constituency, which allegedly revealed over one lakh fraudulent votes. “In one house alone, more than 80 votes were registered. Rahul Gandhi exposed cases where 70–80 voters were registered in a single bar, bringing the issue of large-scale manipulation to national attention,” he said.
He recalled that during the protest held at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park, attended by Rahul Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Chief Ministers, the leaders exposed this scam, sending a strong message across the country. “This manipulation isn’t limited to one constituency. Similar irregularities have occurred in Gandhi Nagar and several others. Votes of minorities, Scheduled Castes, and backward communities supportive of Congress were deliberately transferred to other booths as part of a conspiracy,” he alleged.
Investigation into Aland constituency irregularities
Referring to the Aland constituency, Shivakumar said Minister Priyank Kharge had already alerted the Election Commission about the fraud before the polls. “The Commission began investigating after an official complaint was filed. Fake applications were submitted at 4 a.m. to delete names from the voter list. Within just 17 minutes, 14 votes were deleted, and attempts were made to remove nearly 6,000 more,” he stated.
He said an SIT probe is underway, revealing that outsiders, through their mobile numbers, were involved in manipulating the deletions. “Out of 256 booths, 7,250 votes were deleted using Form-7 misuse. Applications were submitted using mobile numbers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, and Jharkhand. Around 151 voters whose names were deleted filed complaints on February 23. The Commission was also notified that day, but it has not provided the required information despite 12 written requests from investigators,” he alleged.
Shivakumar added that investigators have traced nine out-of-state mobile numbers involved in the process. “It has been reported in the media that BJP candidate Subhash Guttedar destroyed key documents, including voter lists. It was also found that Rs. 80 was paid for each deleted vote. Before the Assembly elections, we had already exposed how the Chilume NGO was misused. The investigation report on this case will be out soon,” he said.
“Election Commission must provide data first”
When asked why Congress hasn’t filed an affidavit before the Election Commission or the courts, Shivakumar replied, “We are asking the Commission to provide supporting records. The Commission’s data should be public. Instead of supplying us with information, they are asking us for evidence. It’s their duty to make information available. Once they give us the necessary documents, we’ll submit the affidavit.”
Responding to the question that the Election Commission has not taken the allegations seriously, he said, “We are making continuous efforts. Around 300 MPs have already submitted a representation to the Central Election Commission, but there’s been no response yet. The Commission isn’t taking any action against the wrongdoers. They only talk about filing new FIRs. They already know whose names will come out if a proper investigation happens. We are doing our part,” he asserted.
Appointments to corporation boards within a week
When asked about the delay in appointing party workers to corporation boards, Shivakumar replied, “So far, 3,000 workers have been given responsibilities. In every Assembly constituency, 15 members have been appointed to the Guarantee Committee, and 60 people have been nominated overall. At the state level, there are 600 posts in various corporation boards, and these appointments will be announced within a week,” he said.
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Health Department launches leprosy awareness campaign in Dakshina Kannada, district reports 47 cases
Mangaluru: The Health Department launched on Friday the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign, to promote early detection and treatment to the disease and also to educate people in the district about leprosy.
The campaign, which is a nationwide initiative, will continue till February 13.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, District Health Officer Dr. HR Thimmaiah has said that 47 cases of leprosy were reported in Dakshina Kannada till December in 2025-26.
He has stressed on the need for early detection and treatment of the disease as it would prevent complications prior to detection. He also stressed on creating awareness, increasing community participation in cases of early detection. “People should not neglect white or brown patches without sensation on their skin,” the DHO advised.
Dr. Thimmaiah added that people diagnosed positive would be treated with free Leprosy Multidrug Therapy (MDT). “The government also provides Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR), splints, self-care kits, multicellular rubber footwear, and reconstructive surgery to patients. People can log on to sanjeevani.opd or esanjeevani.in for free teleconsultation if they come across any symptoms of the disease,” he added.
Referring to social stigma attached to leprosy, the DHO called it a challenge and said that the Department had planned awareness programmes in rural areas in collaboration with gram panchayats to ensure that there is no discrimination of patients. “ASHA workers and staff from other departments will be trained to create awareness among the people to overcome social stigma. A door-to-door campaign will be conducted. In addition, officials will visit educational institutions to create awareness among students,” he said.
Speaking about the leprosy cases in Dakshina Kannada, Dr. Thimmaiah said that the 47 cases were reported between April and December, with 42 being diagnosed as multibacillary (MB) leprosy and five as paucibacillary leprosy. One child too has been detected with leprosy during the year, he added.
He said that the district reported 29 cases in 2020-21, 39 in 2021-22, 75 in 2022-23, 62 in 2023-24, and 43 in 2024-25. The number of cases was higher in 2022-23 as patients were not able to visit hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous years, the DHO informed.
