BRS accuses Congress of widespread 'Vote Chori', electoral malpractices

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 14 : The political atmosphere in Telangana intensified on Tuesday as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) launched a frontal assault on the ruling Congress party, alleging massive electoral fraud and a blatant disregard for democratic principles ahead of the upcoming by-election, according to an official press release.
In a detailed presentation to the media, KTR accused the Congress of employing various "conspiracies and machinations" to manipulate the voters list, insisting that despite these illegal attempts, the BRS would still emerge victorious. The BRS leader's address highlighted numerous irregularities, raising serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process.
KTR initiated his critique by pointing out "abnormal" changes in the electoral rolls. He stated that while the voters list saw an addition of 23,000 new votes, a simultaneous and unexplained deletion of 12,000 existing votes occurred, stressing that the sudden and excessive increase in voters raised "many doubts."
The BRS specifically alleged that the Congress party candidate had acted outside their legal remit, effectively "taking over the duty of the Election Commission" and engaging in the illegal distribution of voter IDs, even extending these identity cards to minors.
KTR further questioned the direct involvement of the Chief Minister and PCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, noting that their photographs were prominently displayed during the related voter list distribution event, and underscored the seriousness of the situation by confirming that the Election Commission (EC) itself has already registered a case regarding the distribution of "fake ID cards" by the Congress candidate.
BRS party workers, conducting a field analysis over just two days, uncovered numerous instances of alleged fraud. KTR cited specific examples of bogus registrations: a visit to the Sanskriti avenue Apartments, where 43 votes were officially registered, found that the owner explicitly denied any connection to the individuals listed; a small 80-square-yard house in Booth Number 125 was found to have 23 listed votes; and the house of a local Congress party leader was alleged to contain 32 "bogus votes."
Furthermore, evidence was presented showing individuals possessing multiple EPIC (Elector's Photo Identity Card) numbers and having votes registered in more than one constituency. The BRS highlighted the case of Srinivas Reddy, a resident of Sircilla, who discovered his vote was registered in the Jubilee Hills constituency without his knowledge, confirming the practice of "vote theft."
KTR asserted that all these "atrocities" were committed in a hurried manner and filled into the voters list by the Congress government in a single day, adding that the Congress candidate, Naveen Kumar Yadav's, own brother, Venkat Praveen Yadav, holds three votes.
The BRS Working President confirmed that the party has formally met with and submitted a letter to the Election Commission detailing all the evidence and objections. However, he expressed profound dissatisfaction, noting that more than 24 hours have passed without any response from the EC, stating this lack of action compromises the "credibility of the Election Commission."
The BRS issued three critical demands to the poll body: a full investigation into the 23,000 new votes, the immediate deletion of all identified duplicate and fake votes, and disciplinary action against all officials who were complicit in the fraudulent registration of these votes. KTR announced a major escalation, stating: "Since there has been no response from the Election Commission even after 24 hours, we will be approaching the High Court tomorrow."
Concluding his address, KTR directly challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to immediately address the "vote theft" issue in Telangana. He drew a parallel between the electoral concerns Gandhi raised in Bihar and the current situation, accusing the Congress of employing "stolen votes" to win in a state where it is in power.
KTR demanded that Gandhi take accountability for the alleged collusion between Congress members and lower-level government officials, arguing that the theft occurring in a Congress-governed state is a matter of severe constitutional concern. "When their own party candidate's family member has three fraudulent votes, Rahul Gandhi must not remain silent. The Congress party must respond to these election frauds immediately," KTR demanded.