Congress moves Election Commission over Karnataka voter data ‘theft’

New Delhi, November 23

The Congress on Wednesday petitioned the Election Commission over alleged voter data theft in Karnataka’s Bengaluru. AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka RS Surjewala said the full commission today heard their complaint for an hour and assured strict action apart from cleaning up the Karnataka voter list for any “wrongful deletions and additions.”

“In Karnataka, a massive voter data theft has taken place under the nose of CM Basavaraj Bommai with the intention to influence elections. A private company was contracted to gather voter information. Private employees given I-cards signed by the district electoral officer against norms impersonated as public officers to gather voter data in nearly 28 segments. This data was then uploaded on a private application,” alleged Surjewala.

The Congress submitted a detailed memorandum to the EC and alleged that 27 lakh voters had been added and 11 lakh deleted from the rolls. “Constituencies were targeted for this purpose. The EC has assured us it will clean up the rolls. The EC has already lodged an FIR and sent the Deputy Election Commissioner to Bengaluru for probe,” Surjewala added after the party delegation, also comprising state unit president DK Shiva Kumar, met the EC.