Did Congress Secure 9 LS Seats in K'taka in 2024 Through Electoral Fraud?

Bengaluru, July 25 (NationPress) Former BJP National General Secretary and Karnataka Legislative Council member C.T. Ravi has raised serious allegations regarding the Congress party's recent success in securing 9 Lok Sabha seats during the 2024 general elections. His claims come in response to accusations made by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, who suggested that the Election Commission of India (ECI) facilitated electoral malpractice.

Speaking at a press conference at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi, Ravi stated: "Despite the Congress' alleged conspiracy, the NDA's achievement of 19 seats is a triumph for democracy. Otherwise, what explains AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law's win in Kalaburagi?"

He raised questions about Congress’ victories in the constituencies of Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Chikkodi, Davanagere, Chamarajanagar, and Hassan, asserting: "It seems evident that the Congress could only have clinched these wins through electoral malpractice. A thorough investigation is imperative in this context."

Ravi pointed out, "The Chief Minister, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge have alluded to electoral roll tampering in Karnataka. My own doubts linger. In 2019, when Congress and JD(S) joined forces, they managed just one seat. How then did Congress claim nine seats in 2024?"

He elaborated, "The Election Commission lacks an independent network of officials; revisions of voter rolls involve revenue department staff and school educators. Most of these individuals operate under state government control. At that time, Congress was in power in Karnataka. So, who had the greater opportunity for malpractice?"

Ravi also suggested that the Congress might have resorted to similar tactics during the 2023 Assembly elections to secure power.

He remarked, "Many believed Siddaramaiah had slim chances of victory, given my accomplishments, including establishing a medical college and executing ₹5,000 crore in development. My own defeat could also involve malpractice."

"In 2024, it seemed improbable for Congress to win a single Lok Sabha seat. Yet they managed nine. This raises strong suspicions of electoral fraud orchestrated by the Congress," he alleged.

Ravi asserted that there is a verified case of electoral fraud against the Congress party.

"In 1975, Allahabad High Court's Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha ruled that Indira Gandhi had engaged in electoral malpractice, leading to her disqualification as an MP and a six-year ban from elections. Rather than accept the verdict, Congress imposed an Emergency, curtailing democracy and altering the Constitution—a blatant criminal act. This is a substantiated offense in a court of law," he noted.

Ravi concluded, "The Congress party possesses both the history and the capability for such offenses. Revenue officials and schoolteachers are deployed to update electoral rolls. Who supervises these officials?"

"The BJP, in contrast, lacks such a background or mindset. The Congress, however, has a documented history of these allegations," he remarked when asked about the matter.

"There's an adage: don’t trust a thief to secure your home. Those with a criminal past often suspect others of their own misdeeds," he concluded.