Rahul Gandhi's Claim of 'Fake' Voters in Karnataka Proven False in Preliminary EC Probe

Bengaluru – A preliminary investigation by the Election Commission (EC) has found that the family accused of being fake voters by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is, in fact, genuine, according to official sources in Bengaluru on Friday.

Rahul Gandhi had alleged that a family of three – one man and two women – were fake voters, citing the absence of visible photographs as evidence. However, images of the individuals, along with their GPS-tagged residential address, have now surfaced on social media.

The family – identified as Om Prakash Bagri, Saraswati Devi Bagri, and Mala Bagri – was photographed holding their Voter ID cards at their home on 2nd Main, JCR Layout, Panthur, near Kadubeesanahalli in Bengaluru.

Why the EC Sought an Affidavit

Sources said the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka asked Rahul Gandhi to personally submit an affidavit due to his history of disowning past complaints made against the Election Commission of India (ECI).

“In previous cases, he never submitted a signed letter. Our replies would go to other individuals, and later, he would deny having made the allegations,” an EC official explained.

Reference to Previous Allegations

Officials also highlighted that Rahul Gandhi previously referred to an issue in Maharashtra on December 24, 2024. An advocate from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had sent a letter, and the EC provided a detailed response—publicly available on their website.

“Yet Rahul Gandhi continues to claim that we never replied. He repeated this false allegation even yesterday,” sources noted.

Caste Census Controversy

The EC pointed out an apparent contradiction on Thursday (August 7), when the Karnataka government decided to base its caste census on the electoral roll—effectively endorsing its authenticity.
On the same day, Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the credibility of those same rolls, calling them flawed.

“While the Congress-led state government relies on these rolls for key policymaking, Rahul Gandhi questions their integrity,” EC officials remarked.

Protest and Demands

Speaking at a press conference in Delhi and a massive protest in Bengaluru, Rahul Gandhi alleged election fraud in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment and demanded 10 years of voter data and video records.

“If you’re hiding this data, you’re hiding a crime,” he warned the ECI. “If you attack the principle of ‘One Man, One Vote’, we will challenge you.”

With inputs from IANS