BANGALORE: The Karnataka branch of the Congress on Thursday sought the resignation of the state's chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai, and also an investigation into the voter ID fraud by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka.

The state's party in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, the opposition leader Siddaramaiah, and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said that they would file a criminal case in relation to the situation at a joint press conference at the KPCC headquarters in Bangalore.

"Voter information is being stolen by the government. Through a private organisation, the BJP, which is in power, is engaging in election fraud. The Election Commission, BBMP Special Commissioner Tushar Girinath, and Bommai, the in-charge minister, are working together to steal voter information "said Surjewala.

Shivakumar alleged that hundreds of BJP members in the state had been enlisted to tamper with voter registration lists. To complete the voter ID renewal procedure, "the BJP workers have been engaged on a contract basis by a private agency and issued identity cards by the authorities," he alleged.

He said, between 17,000 and 18,000 of these identity cards are distributed in Bengaluru alone. He further mentioned that BJP volunteers are canvassing voters door to door.

They are identifying vacant homes, researching voters' political beliefs, and compiling a voter list in order to win elections. In accordance with Articles 324, 325, and 326 of the Indian Constitution as well as Section 28 of the Representation of the People's Act, only government employees are authorised to handle matters relating to voter lists, according to Shivakumar, who also claimed that the BJP in power and the bureaucracy have broken the rules.

In the meantime, Siddaramaiah asserted that the Chief Minister is ordering everything done. "Bommai ought to be taken into custody. He ought to step down since he has no moral justification for remaining in charge of the situation. In the history of Karnataka, the Chief Minister has never engaged in this kind of plot or robbery "he alleged.

M.B. Patil, the MLA who chairs the KPCC Campaign Committee, stated that it was initially carried out in Bengaluru's Mahadevapura constituency. "BJP has now spread the exercise to the entire city of Bengaluru and all 224 Assembly districts in the state." Shivakumar further claimed that votes for minorities, SC/STs, and other backward classes were being removed from voter lists through fraud.
"The BJP workers are removing names or moving names to other wards based on political leanings. To support BJP candidates, voters from neighbouring constituencies are being brought in and housed in vacant homes." He requested the arrest of thousands of BJP members who had received government-issued ID cards as well as the seizure of all data gathered.

"Who gave permission for a private organisation to represent the BBMP and electoral commission? How were the government orders approving this private organisation issued, dated January 29 and August 28? Why did Bommai, the in-charge minister, the BBMP, or the Election Authority not order the issuance of an advertisement before contracting with a private party for the election? Said Surjewala.

"How was it legal for a private company to gather voter data like as caste, religion, gender, mother tongue, marital status, Aadhaar number, phone number, address, voter id number, and email address? Is this not blatant theft of personal information and fraud against uninformed voters?" Can a private company with government authorization post voter personal information to its paid private app, digital Samiksha, which purportedly is utilised by political parties' MPs, MLAs, corporators, and aspirants for political purposes? "he further questioned.

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