Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar announced today that the party has collected 1.12 crore signatures across the state in a nationwide campaign against alleged ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) through voter roll manipulations. Addressing a joint press conference with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the KPCC office, Shivakumar said the signatures—gathered from all 40 organisational districts—will be sent to the Congress high command in Delhi on November 10, with a potential submission to President Droupadi Murmu and the Election Commission of India.

The campaign, led by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, targets perceived deletions of voters from minority and oppressed communities ahead of elections. Shivakumar expressed optimism that public anger over the issue would boost the Mahagathbandhan’s performance in Bihar’s ongoing Assembly polls, predicting a clear mandate for the Opposition alliance. A massive rally is scheduled at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 25 to amplify the protest.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of systematically destroying constitutional institutions since 2014, claiming agencies like the Election Commission have been compromised to facilitate electoral fraud. “Modi has undermined democracy by turning independent bodies into tools of the ruling party,” he alleged, linking the ‘vote chori’ drive to broader efforts to protect vulnerable voters nationwide.

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The Karnataka Congress’s record-breaking signature haul—11,240,000 in just weeks—underscores strong grassroots mobilisation in a state where the party holds power. Shivakumar hailed it as a resounding success, reflecting widespread distrust in the electoral process under the current central government.

As similar campaigns gain momentum across India, the Congress is positioning ‘vote theft’ as a pivotal issue ahead of future polls, framing it as an existential threat to democracy while rallying its cadre against perceived BJP-orchestrated disenfranchisement.

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