The Grand Old Party is aiming to mobilise over one lakh people for the rally. Party leaders have been directed to send at least 50 participants, including ministers, MLAs, and even defeated candidates, from each district outside Bengaluru to the venue.
Published Aug 07, 2025 | 6:18 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 07, 2025 | 6:18 PM
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Bengaluru on Friday.
Synopsis: Rahul Gandhi will lead a Congress protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on 8 August over alleged electoral fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. Senior leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, are expected to address claims of voter roll irregularities, particularly in the Mahadevapura and Rajajinagar assembly segments. Traffic restrictions have been announced across central Bengaluru amid the expected heavy turnout.
The Congress is preparing for a large-scale protest at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Friday, 8 August, over alleged electoral fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will arrive in the city the same day to lead the protest against the Election Commission.
The demonstration, earlier scheduled for 5 August, will see senior Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar speaking about alleged irregularities in the Mahadevapura and Rajajinagar assembly segments during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Gandhi had earlier claimed, “In Karnataka, we have found out bhayankar chori (massive theft). I will show it in black and white to you and the Election Commission. I will show how the chori is done and from where. We have it in black and white in Karnataka.”
His allegations, which the Election Commission of India has dismissed as “baseless”, come at a time when there is growing criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, adding to scrutiny over the conduct of elections in India.
The protest is set to begin at Freedom Park from 10.30 a.m. on Friday. The Grand Old Party is aiming to mobilise over one lakh people for the rally. Party leaders have been directed to send at least 50 participants, including ministers, MLAs, and even defeated candidates, from each district outside Bengaluru to the venue.
On Thursday, the long-simmering accusations about voter fraud heated up as Rahul Gandhi claimed the party’s “internal polls” had indicated 16 wins in Karnataka, but the party had ended up with only nine. Focusing on the Mahadevapura segment under the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha seat, Congress alleged that over one lakh votes had been “stolen”.
The party also claimed to have found instances of unusual voter registration patterns, including 80 people listed at one address and 46 unrelated individuals registered at another. Gandhi further alleged the presence of 11,965 duplicate voters and 40,009 invalid or fake addresses.
Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders from the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee are expected to repeat these claims on Friday, while also presenting more data and supporting material, as urged by the Election Commission.
While Gandhi was addressing the media, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka asked the Congress leader to submit a declaration to support his “vote chori” claim, along with the names of voters allegedly wrongfully included in the rolls, so that proceedings could be initiated.
The Election Commission has also allocated a time slot between 1 pm and 3 pm on Friday for a Congress delegation to submit a memorandum on the alleged electoral irregularities.
The BJP, meanwhile, has questioned the timing of the protest. State BJP President BY Vijayendra called the Congress protest “totally unconstitutional”.
“If the BJP can manipulate and misuse the Election Commission, then how did Congress come to power in Karnataka with 136 MLAs? How did the Congress win by-elections for three MLA seats?” Vijayendra asked, referring to the accusations of voter fraud during the 2023 Assembly elections, in which Congress defeated the BJP-led coalition to form a majority government.
The BJP had earlier planned a counter-protest on 5 August, the original date of the Congress rally, but has not announced any programme for Friday.
With large crowds expected and high-profile leaders in attendance, Bengaluru Police have issued a traffic advisory for 8 August.
“In view of VVIP visit to Bengaluru city on 8 August, parking of all types of vehicles is prohibited on the following roads. Further, it is requested to avoid following roads and use alternative roads,” the advisory issued by Sahil Bagla, DCP Traffic (East Division), said.
Commuters are advised to avoid Old Airport Road, MG Road and Cubbon Road between 10.30 am and 11.30 am, and again from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara told reporters on Thursday that all necessary security arrangements have been made ahead of the protest.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
