A major controversy erupted in Kunigal taluk of Karnataka’s Tumakuru district after allegations surfaced that Congress workers attempted to manipulate the election for a Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Society (PACCS) in Santemavatturu by stuffing ballot boxes with fake ballot papers. The incident triggered chaos at the polling station and ultimately led authorities to cancel the entire election following protests and allegations of large-scale irregularities.
As per Public TV reports, the election for the Santemavatturu VSSN Cooperative Society’s board of directors was being held on the premises of a government junior primary school, where polling had begun peacefully in the morning between 9 AM and 4 PM. However, tensions escalated by the afternoon when workers supporting NDA-backed candidates alleged that irregular voting was taking place inside the polling station.
According to reports, Congress-supported agents Shivakumar and Krishna were allegedly caught attempting to insert between 100 and 150 fake ballot papers into the ballot box. The alleged malpractice was reportedly noticed by NDA election agent Bala Nayak, who raised an alarm and alerted others present at the polling station. As the situation unfolded, the individuals accused of carrying the ballot papers allegedly dropped them and fled the scene.
Protesters also accused election officer Sunil of being complicit in the alleged irregularities, claiming that the fraudulent voting could not have occurred without the involvement or negligence of the officials overseeing the election. Following the incident, NDA workers staged a protest at the polling site, demanding immediate action against those responsible and calling for the arrest of the election officer.
The situation quickly turned tense as police intervened to control the crowd after NDA supporters attempted to enter the polling station, leading to heated arguments and pushing between activists and law enforcement personnel. Several political leaders, including local BJP and JD(S) representatives, arrived at the scene amid escalating protests. In view of the alleged malpractice and the growing unrest, authorities decided to cancel and postpone the election, while police launched further inquiries into the incident.
The same Congress party that alleged vote chori is now taking to the streets, demanding a ban on electronic voting machines and a return to ballot papers. Is this the reason behind it? Are they unable to win elections, and is it easier to manipulate ballot papers? This incident raises serious questions, especially given that Congress itself has been caught in similar situations.
