Sun Sep 07 08:43:20 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Congress Alleges Election Commission is Obstructing Voter Fraud Investigation in Karnataka**
**New Delhi – September 7, 2025** – Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the poll body of obstructing the investigation into alleged voter fraud during the Karnataka Assembly elections in 2023.
Kharge took to social media platform X on Sunday, September 7, 2025, to share a media report claiming that the investigation into the fraudulent deletion of voter names via forged Form 7 applications has stalled. He alleged that the ECI is withholding crucial data needed to identify and apprehend the individuals responsible.
The Congress leader specifically cited a case from the Aland Constituency ahead of the May 2023 Karnataka elections, where thousands of voters were allegedly disenfranchised through a sophisticated operation involving forged Form 7 applications.
“Is the ECI now BJP’s back-office for “vote chori?” Kharge questioned in his post.
Kharge highlighted that a case was filed in February 2023, and subsequent investigation revealed nearly 6,000 forged applications – “clear evidence of a massive attempt at voter fraud.” The Congress government had then ordered a CID probe to catch the culprits.
“But here’s the twist: while ECI had earlier shared part of the documents needed to trace the forgery, it has now stonewalled the crucial information — effectively shielding those behind the Vote Chori!” Mr. Kharge said. “Why has the ECI suddenly blocked vital evidence,” he asked.
Kharge further accused the ECI of potentially acting under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to derail the ongoing CID probe. He stressed the importance of protecting every individual’s right to vote and safeguarding Indian democracy.
The ECI has yet to respond to these specific allegations. However, in the past, the poll body has dismissed similar claims of bias by the Congress as baseless.
The investigation remains ongoing, but the standoff between the Congress and the ECI raises serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process in Karnataka.
First Piper 