‘31 lakh bogus cards left unaccounted’
CH NEWS, BENGALURU Political tensions escalated sharply in Karnataka as Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka leveled explosive allegations of a 20 crore rupee financial and electoral scam. Addressing an emergency press conference, Ashoka accused the ruling Congress administration and the State Election Commission of orchestrating a fraudulent printing operation involving nine million voter identification cards in explicit defiance of statutory financial regulations and administrative protocols. Releasing detailed documentation to the press, Ashoka claimed that the State Election Commission undertook the massive printing of ninety lakh Secure Voter Identification Cards (SVIC) despite full prior knowledge that a comprehensive Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls was scheduled to take place. According to the opposition leader, standard legal procedures mandate house-to-house field verification, direct citizen interaction, and fresh photograph collection before issuing identification cards. However, the Commission bypassed all field visits, relying entirely on legacy voter databases from prior Lok Sabha polls. Highlighting critical timeline contradictions, Ashoka noted that the Election Commission of India had officially mandated a Special Intensive Revision to commence on May 14, 2026. Yet, the State Election Commission proceeded to invite tenders for printing the cards just one day later on May 15, formally awarding the work order on May 29 even after submitting an affidavit to the Supreme Court confirming that local body elections would only occur after the SIR process concluded. With the final revised electoral roll registering 59,09,775 verified voters in Bengaluru, Ashoka questioned the rationale behind printing ninety lakh cards, resulting in a surplus of over 31 lakh unaccounted-for identification documents. Condemning the expenditure as a complete wastage of public exchequer funds, Ashoka demanded an immediate, independent Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the affair. Directing sharp political criticism at national Congress leadership, he challenged figures who frequently allege electoral manipulation to investigate the creation of 31 lakh excess cards in Bengaluru, questioning where the surplus documents are currently stored and how the financial outlay of twenty crore rupees was justified. The opposition has insisted that the state government provide a transparent accounting of the tender process and fix immediate accountability for the alleged administrative malpractice.
