Siddaramaiah defends Rahul on ‘Vote Chori’ claims; slams misuse of EC-linked survey

NEW DELHI: Karnataka main curate Siddaramaiah connected Friday came retired powerfully successful defence of Congress person Rahul Gandhi, accusing sections of the media and the BJP of misrepresenting an Election Commission-linked survey to undermine allegations of elector database manipulation.In a elaborate station connected X, the main curate said an administrative survey conducted earlier this twelvemonth was being selectively cited to suggest that concerns raised by Rahul Gandhi implicit electoral malpractice had been “disproved”, a assertion helium described arsenic an effort to ‘manufacture a misleading narrative’.Siddaramaiah said the survey successful question was not a governmental oregon sentiment canvass but an end-line valuation carried retired nether the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme.

Conducted successful May 2025, the workout was meant to measure elector consciousness efforts, not to validate the integrity of elections oregon respond to allegations that surfaced months later. “An consciousness survey cannot beryllium twisted into a certificate of electoral integrity,” helium wrote.He besides pointed to the timing of the exercise, noting that Rahul Gandhi raised allegations of organised elector database manipulation, which the Congress has described arsenic “Vote Chori”, lone successful August 2025.

Using information collected earlier those allegations emerged to antagonistic aboriginal claims was not fact-checking, helium said, but a distortion of facts.The main curate questioned the statistical value being fixed to the findings, highlighting that the survey covered 5,100 respondents successful a authorities with implicit 5.3 crore big voters. That, helium said, amounted to little than 0.01% of the electorate. “In constituencies similar Bengaluru Central, wherever allegations of elector database manipulation are astir acute, the responsive number runs into specified treble digits.

Projecting this arsenic the definitive “people’s verdict” is statistically indefensible,” helium wrote.Siddaramaiah further alleged a struggle of interest, stating that the survey was conducted by an NGO called GRAAM, founded by Dr R Balasubramaniam, who presently holds a Union government-appointed presumption and authored a publication praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi successful 2024.He said this facet had been ignored successful overmuch of the reporting.The main curate besides rejected claims that Rahul Gandhi was questioning ideology oregon the electoral process itself. He said the Congress person had sought transparency connected issues specified arsenic entree to elector rolls, safeguards against surveillance, scrutiny of EVMs and the independency of the Election Commissioner assignment process, questions which helium said stay unanswered.Referring to transgression investigations successful Karnataka, Siddaramaiah cited the Aland case, wherever a constabulary Special Investigation Team filed a 22,000-page chargesheet naming 7 accused, including a erstwhile BJP MLA, for allegedly attempting to illegally delete astir 6,000 genuine voters utilizing OTP bypass technology. He said the probe was pursued by the Congress authorities contempt winning the spot and led to systemic changes by the Election Commission.The contention erupted aft the BJP cited findings from a survey conducted crossed Karnataka to assertion that a bulk of respondents spot EVMs and judge elections successful India are conducted freely and fairly. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Rahul Gandhi gets a “reality check” each clip helium raises questions aft electoral defeats.Congress leaders person since questioned the credibility of the survey. As quoted by quality bureau ANI, Priyank Kharge and Supriya Shrinate flagged concerns implicit the timing, illustration size and neutrality of the bureau that conducted the exercise, arguing that it cannot beryllium utilized to disregard allegations backed by transgression investigations.Siddaramaiah concluded that a limited, pre-event administrative survey cannot override evidence, chargesheets oregon unresolved questions, calling it unfortunate that these facts were ignored successful favour of what helium termed a distorted narrative.