Former MLA demands probe into ‘abnormal’ rise in voters in 2013-18 in Shivamogga assembly constituency
A former MLA has requested an Election Commission probe into an 'abnormal' surge in voter numbers in the Shivamogga constituency between 2013 and 2018. He alleges that the presence of thousands of untraceable or duplicate voters suggests electoral manipulation.
Why it matters
The allegations raise significant questions about the integrity of electoral rolls and the potential for voter fraud in regional elections.
Alleging a conspiracy behind a sudden and abnormal increase in the number of voters in Shivamogga constituency between 2013 and 2018, former MLA and Janata Dal (Secular) leader K.B. Prasanna Kumar has urged the Election Commission to investigate the matter and bring out the truth.
Addressing a press conference in Shivamogga on Thursday, Mr. Prasanna Kumar said the number of voters in the constituency stood at 2,15,937 during the 2013 Assembly election, when he won the seat on a Congress ticket. By the 2018 election, the number had risen to 2,56,373 — an “abnormal” increase of 40,436 voters. In the most recent election, held in 2023, the count stood at 2,60,757, a “normal” increase of 4,384 voters.
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