Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 2 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah on Friday said that an Election Commission survey was being "selectively used to manufacture a narrative", as he rejected claims that it had disproved Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of electoral malpractice.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister said the survey in question was being misused to undermine concerns raised by Rahul Gandhi regarding alleged voter list manipulation, popularly referred to as "Vote Chori".

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https://x.com/siddaramaiah/status/2007075247371989066?s=20

"Over the last 24 hours, an Election Commission survey has been selectively used to manufacture a misleading narrative - suggesting that serious concerns about electoral malpractice raised by Shri @RahulGandhi are somehow "disproved". This claim collapses the moment the survey is examined honestly," he said.

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He clarified that the survey in question was not political in nature but an administrative assessment conducted under the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme.

"First, the nature of the survey itself must be understood. This was not a political opinion poll. It was an end-line administrative evaluation of voter awareness under SVEEP programmes, commissioned by the Election Commission of India and conducted in May 2025. Its purpose was to assess voter education efforts - not to certify the integrity of electoral processes or respond to allegations that surfaced months later. An awareness survey cannot be twisted into a certificate of electoral integrity," Karnatka CM added.

Highlighting the timeline, Siddaramiah said the survey predates the allegations raised by Rahul Gandhi. "Second, the timing is decisive. The survey was conducted in May 2025. Shri Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of organised voter list manipulation - Vote Chori - in August 2025, based on evidence that emerged after the survey period. Using pre-allegation data to dismiss post-allegation evidence is not fact-checking; it is intellectual sleight of hand."

The Chief Minister also questioned the statistical credibility of the survey, pointing to the limited sample size. "Third, the sample size makes sweeping conclusions untenable. The survey interviewed 5,100 respondents in a state with over 5.3 crore adult voters - representing less than 0.01% of the electorate. This is a microscopic fraction by any serious statistical standard. In constituencies like Bengaluru Central, where allegations of voter list manipulation are most acute, the respondent count runs into mere double digits. Projecting this as the definitive "people's verdict" is statistically indefensible," post added on X.

Raising concerns over a possible conflict of interest, Siddaramiah said the survey was conducted by an organisation linked to a Union government appointee.

"Fourth, the conflict of interest has been ignored. The survey was conducted by a NGO named GRAAM, founded by Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, who currently holds a Union Government-appointed position and authored a book in 2024 praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. This is a clear case of conflict of interest which finds no mention in any reportage of the issue," Karnatka CM asserted.

The Karnataka Chief Minister further said Rahul Gandhi's position had been misrepresented. "Fifth, Rahul Gandhi's position has been deliberately distorted. He has not questioned democracy or elections - he has sought basic transparency from the Election Commission on voter roll access, surveillance safeguards, EVM scrutiny, and the independence of the Election Commissioner appointment process - questions that remain unanswered."

Citing a recent case in Karnataka, Siddaramiah said the issue of voter list manipulation was backed by evidence.

"Finally, Vote Chori is not a slogan. It is a chargesheet. In Aland, a Karnataka Police SIT has filed a 22,000-page chargesheet naming seven accused - including a former BJP MLA - for attempting to illegally delete 5,994 genuine voters using OTP bypass technology. This investigation was conducted by our government despite winning the seat - and it forced systemic changes by the Election Commission itself," CM Siddaramiah added.

He added that factual evidence cannot be brushed aside through selective interpretation. "A limited, pre-event administrative survey cannot bury criminal evidence, chargesheets, or unanswered questions. It's very unfortunate that instead of interrogating these facts, sections of the media chose to amplify a distorted reading without due diligence."

The Karnatka CM remarks came after the BJP referred to a media article to claim that a statewide survey published by in Karnataka had shown most citizens trust India's electoral process and electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The survey found that 84.55% of respondents believe elections in India are conducted freely and fairly, while 83.61% expressed trust in EVMs. Confidence in EVMs has risen from 77.9% in 2023 to 83.61% now, indicating growing public faith in the integrity of the voting system. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)