Rahul Gandhi's vote theft allegations on EC: Karnataka minister questions "Why did we remain silent when in power?"

Ever since the Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of 'vote theft', there has been quite a "noise" in Indian politics. Moreover, the allegations have created ripples in his own party ranks and the INDIA bloc. 

Recently, K Rajanna, the Minister of Cooperation in the Karnataka Government, has raised questions about the Congress party for its silence on the alleged "manipulation" of the voter list when it was elected to power. 

He stated that the voter list was prepared during Congress's tenure. Rajanna said, "If irregularities occurred, then why was no one speaking up at the time? Why did we remain silent?" 

Rajanna even claimed that the changes made in the voter list were responsible for the Prime Minister's election to office. Further, he acknowledged that fraud took place in the Mahadevapura assembly constituency of Karnataka. 

While speaking to Telangana Today, he said, "But when the draft list was being prepared, was it not our responsibility to oversee it?" 

He added, "These irregularities happened right before our eyes. Our silence back then is a matter of shame for all of us. We must admit this and be more vigilant in the future under Rahul Gandhi's leadership." 

Following the vote chori (vote theft) allegations, 300 MPs and 25 opposition parties in both the Houses of Parliament are staging a protest at the headquarters of the Election Commission. They are protesting against the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar. 

Rahul Gandhi has alleged that there are 11,965 duplicate voters and 40,009 voters with fake or invalid addresses, and others have been improperly registered. He had said, "Vote Chori is an attack on the foundational idea of 'one man, one vote.' A clean voter roll is imperative for free and fair elections. Our demand from the EC is very clear - be transparent and release digital voter polls so that people and parties can audit them."