Published Nov 06, 2026 | 4:23 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 06, 2026 | 4:23 PM
An official from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office confirmed that an FIR has been registered. (X/@Tejasvi_Surya)
Synopsis: A Congress worker has been accused of voting by proxy in place of Asha Patil, wife of Haveri District Congress Committee president Sanjeevkumar Neeralagi, in the Karnataka West Graduates’ constituency MLC election on 23 October. An FIR was registered in connection with the incident, the polling officer was suspended for negligence, and the BJP staged protests demanding action against the Congress leaders. The controversy gained traction after a video of the incident emerged on social media in recent days.
A Congress worker allegedly cast a vote in place of the wife of a district party president in the Karnataka West Graduates’ constituency MLC election held on 23 October. BJP workers staged a demonstration outside the district Congress office in Haveri on 26 October, demanding an inquiry and action against those allegedly involved.
Shilpa Ningappa Badammanavar, a Congress worker and member of the Haveri taluk guarantee committee, allegedly voted in place of Asha Patil, wife of Haveri District Congress Committee (DCC) president Sanjeevkumar Neeralagi.
An official from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office confirmed that an FIR was registered on 25 October in connection with the incident. Badammanavar was booked under Section 174 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with punishment for personation or undue influence at an election.
The incident has put the Congress on the defensive even as the party has led an impassioned opposition at the national level to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise over large-scale voter deletions, besides alleging systematic “vote chori” since the 2023 Assembly elections in the state.
The controversy gained traction after a video of the incident emerged on social media in recent days.
Bengaluru South MP and BJP leader Tejaswi Surya accused the Congress of engaging in electoral malpractice even as the party repeatedly accused the BJP of “vote chori”.
“In the recent MLC elections in Karnataka, Congress’s vote chori via ballot paper was caught on camera. A person who was neither enrolled on the voter list nor eligible to vote as a graduate was allegedly caught voting on behalf of a Congress district president who did not turn up to vote,” he wrote in a post on X on Wednesday, 4 November.
“Congress seems to have added a new promise to its list of guarantees The 6th Guarantee – Guaranteed Vote Chori.”
In the recent MLC elections in Karnataka, Congress’s vote chori via ballot paper was caught on camera.
A person who was neither enrolled on the voter list nor eligible to vote as a graduate was allegedly caught voting on behalf of a Congress district president who did not turn up to vote.
Congress seems to have added a new promise to its list of guarantees
The 6th Guarantee – Guaranteed Vote Chori.
Watch.
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) November 4, 2026
VG Mallura, an assistant teacher at the Block Education Officer’s office in Haveri, was suspended from service on 25 October following a complaint.
VG Mallura, an assistant teacher at the Block Education Officer’s office in Haveri, was suspended from service.
The suspension took immediate effect under Rule 10(1)(a) of the Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1957, for negligence and dereliction of duty.
Mallura had been appointed assistant presiding officer at polling station No. 85, where the alleged impersonation took place. The suspension order also cited violations of Sections 61(b), 134 and 136 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
According to the suspension order, Asha Patil, listed at serial number 50 in the electoral roll, was replaced by Shilpa Badammanavar, who was allowed to cast her vote. The order said Mallura had failed to verify the documents prescribed by the Election Commission and identify the voter.
“On the polling day, the said employee did not properly check the document prescribed by the Election Commission and did not identify the voters,” the letter stated.
The BJP also sought action against Neeralagi and District In-charge Minister Rudrappa Lamani, who was reportedly present at the polling station when Badammanavar arrived to cast her vote. The BJP had earlier announced plans to stage a protest outside Lamani’s residence over the alleged malpractice.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
