Form 7 was 'misused' by BJP to delete voters 'en masse' ahead of 2023 polls: Minister Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday alleged that Form 7 was misused under the previous BJP government to delete voters "en masse", ahead of May 2023 Assembly polls.
His remarks followed claims by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who cited Karnataka's example, that votes of party supporters were being systematically deleted ahead of elections.
Form 7 is an application for objecting inclusion of the name of the other person, or seeking deletion of one's own name, or seeking deletion of any other person’s name in the electoral roll due to death or shifting.
Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of protecting "vote chors" and people who have destroyed democracy, and cited data from Karnataka's Aland Assembly constituency to support his claim that votes of Congress supporters were being systematically deleted ahead of elections.
In Aland segment, someone tried to delete 6,018 votes and got caught by coincidence, he said, alleging that the names of voters of the Congress were being deleted systematically.
Kharge said, "The Vote Chori trail in Aland (in Kalaburagi district) is a shocking case of large-scale voter deletion. Ahead of the May 2023 Assembly election, Form 7 was misused under the BJP government to delete voters en masse."
In a post on X, he claimed that a total of 6,018 deletions were attempted using automated software and fake logins.
He said, "Verification showed 5,994 were forged, only 24 genuine. 2,494 voters were actually deleted before the fraud was caught. Strong Congress booths, especially with Dalit and minority voters, were targeted."
In one instance, 12 voters were deleted in just 14 minutes, pointing to a "sophisticated vote chori factory", Kharge said.
In another case, the identity of a 63-year-old woman was misused to delete 12 voters.
Noting that the Karnataka CID, which is investigating the case has sent 18 letters to the Election Commission of India seeking IP logs, OTP trails, device IDs, and login details, he alleged that the EC has refused to share the critical data.
The Minister said this raises serious questions. "Who approved these deletion records? Where is the OTP audit trail? When will deleted voters be restored? Why is ECI refusing to cooperate with CID? Who is the ECI trying to protect?"
"When the fraud is this clear, what more evidence is the ECI waiting for? Whom are they shielding?" he asked.
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Karnataka, France explore deeper ties in AI, aerospace, defence manufacturing
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government and France on Tuesday discussed expanding collaboration to strengthen technology infrastructure and development, artificial intelligence, and defence manufacturing.
Karnataka Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge met Anne Le Hénaff, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, Government of France, in Bengaluru.
The meeting focused on expanding collaboration in innovation, skilling, AI, aerospace and defence manufacturing, startup ecosystems and digital governance, with both sides expressing strong interest in building long-term, structured partnerships between Karnataka and France, according to a statement issued by Kharge’s office.
France highlighted its growing need for skilled engineers and technology professionals and expressed interest in partnering with Karnataka on structured talent development and skilling in emerging technologies, the statement said.
“The discussions built on the strong foundation of Indo-French collaboration in areas such as aerospace, animation and emerging technologies, including earlier engagements through Centres of Excellence, academic partnerships and startup exchange programmes,” it said.
The two sides also reviewed ongoing engagement with French innovation ecosystems and institutions, including incubation and innovation platforms in Paris.
Kharge outlined Karnataka’s vision to create dedicated innovation, skills and manufacturing corridors with global partners, particularly in the context of the Indo-French Year of Innovation.
He highlighted the state’s proposal to strengthen engagement through the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) and to establish a physical institutional platform in Karnataka to support French startups, SMEs and MSMEs seeking market access, R&D collaboration and a long-term presence in India.
“A couple of areas where we can move quickly and decisively are skills, innovation and advanced manufacturing. We can work towards a skills corridor focused on emerging technologies, an innovation corridor linking our Centres of Excellence, incubators and research institutions, and a stronger partnership in aerospace and defence supply chains,” Kharge said.
“Bengaluru can be a gateway for French companies entering India, and Paris can be a gateway for our startups entering France and the European Union,” he added.
Hénaff said France’s approach to AI is guided by three priorities: building sustainable AI, ensuring AI serves the public interest, and strengthening the protection of children in the digital world.
“As we deepen our cooperation with Karnataka, we see strong opportunities to work together on responsible, trustworthy and inclusive AI by combining innovation, regulation and public policy to ensure technology benefits society while safeguarding our values,” she said.
