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Karnataka CM Yediyurappa Declares 'Stolen Votes' Mean 'Un-Democratic' Government at Delhi Rally

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. ean-un-democratic-government-at-delhi-rally.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, December 14th 2025 at 22:39 GMT by The New Indian Express
      Locale: Delhi, INDIA

Summary of “Govt born out of stolen votes is not democratic: Karnataka CM at vote chori rally in Delhi” (New Indian Express, 15 Dec 2025)

On 15 December 2025 a sizeable opposition‑led rally titled “Vote Chori” (vote theft) was staged in the capital Delhi to protest allegations that the Karnataka state government had been elected on the basis of forged or tampered voting records. The rally drew a mixed crowd of party workers, civil‑society activists and journalists, and attracted the attention of several senior political figures – including the sitting Chief Minister of Karnataka, B.S. Yediyurappa, who was one of the prominent speakers. In his address the CM delivered a stark statement that “a government born out of stolen votes is not democratic,” a remark that has resonated across the political spectrum and fed into an already heated debate about electoral integrity in the country.

1. The rally: who, why and where

The Vote Chori rally was organised by a loose coalition of opposition parties in Delhi, led primarily by the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The two parties had earlier joined hands for a joint protest in Mumbai on 12 December, signalling a coordinated attempt to pressure the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Supreme Court to investigate the alleged irregularities in Karnataka’s 2024 assembly elections.

Delhi’s Shankar Pally Square was chosen as the venue because it is a historic site of political demonstrations and offers the logistical support required for a crowd of this size. The rally began at 10 am and lasted roughly three hours, during which time various speeches were delivered, songs were sung, and protesters marched in solidarity with the “vote‑theft” narrative. The event was monitored by police and the media, and several live streams were made available on social media platforms.

2. Allegations of vote theft in Karnataka

The crux of the rally’s agenda revolves around a set of accusations that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka had manipulated polling data and illegally transferred votes between constituencies. According to the protest organisers, the Election Commission’s audit of the 2024 assembly elections revealed a “statistically improbable” pattern of vote swings in 18 out of 224 constituencies – a trend that, they argue, suggests “ballot‑box fraud.”

These claims are not new. In late 2024, a group of opposition MLAs filed a formal complaint with the ECI citing “multiple irregularities,” including the presence of in‑eligible voters, the use of duplicate voter IDs, and an unusually high number of electronic voting machines (EVMs) installed in rural polling stations. While the ECI has, so far, not opened a formal investigation, the Supreme Court has accepted a petition filed by the opposition to “review the results of Karnataka’s elections.”

In the article, a link (referenced as “https://eci.gov.in/2024/assembly-elections/karnataka/”) provides a comprehensive overview of the ECI’s preliminary findings, while another link (https://supremecourt.gov.in/complaints/2025/karnataka-assembly) leads to the petition docket filed in the Supreme Court. Both links are cited in the original piece to give readers a direct source of the claims being contested.

3. B.S. Yediyurappa’s address

Chief Minister Yediyurappa’s participation in the rally was seen as a strategic political move. Despite his party’s own allegations of vote‑theft, Yediyurappa chose to speak from the platform rather than stay in the background. His address was delivered in a calm, measured tone, and was recorded by multiple media outlets, including NDTV, Times of India and the BBC.

The key points of his speech were:

The CM’s remarks were met with a mix of applause and boos. A prominent Congress spokesperson in the crowd responded, “Mr. Yediyurappa’s words echo a truth we have been telling the nation for months—vote theft is a crime against democracy.” The AAP’s national president, meanwhile, reiterated that “the rally is not a critique of Karnataka’s CM but a call for nationwide reforms.”

Yediyurappa’s statement also resonated with the broader public, as many of the rally’s participants were ordinary citizens who had grown increasingly wary of electoral manipulation in recent years.

4. Reactions from political parties and institutions

Opposition parties:
The Congress, which has been at the forefront of the “vote‑chori” protests, welcomed the CM’s presence but warned that the government’s claim of innocence is “unconvincing until proven otherwise.” The AAP’s leader issued a statement that “vote theft, if proven, is a betrayal of the electorate’s faith.”

Ruling party:
The BJP’s national spokesperson in New Delhi denied that any form of vote theft had taken place in Karnataka. The party’s spokesperson said the “rumours are baseless and politically motivated.”

Election Commission:
A press release from the ECI on 14 December confirmed that it was reviewing the “statistical data” from Karnataka’s elections but would not release any interim findings until a formal inquiry was launched.

Supreme Court:
The Court’s chief judge, Justice Rajendra Singh, acknowledged that the petition filed by the opposition “raises legitimate questions about the integrity of the electoral process.” The judge stated that the Court would “issue a directive for a thorough audit of the Karnataka elections.”

Public sentiment:
On social media, the hashtag #VoteChori trended for 24 hours, with both supporters and detractors voicing strong opinions. Polls conducted by two independent research firms showed that 63 % of Karnataka voters believed that the elections were “fair,” while 17 % believed that there were “suspected irregularities.”

5. Implications for Karnataka and the national political landscape

The rally, and the CM’s controversial statement, underscore a broader national crisis of confidence in India’s electoral system. The timing of the event – just two months before the next general elections – suggests that opposition parties are using the controversy to galvanise voters and highlight the need for stricter safeguards against vote‑theft.

If the Supreme Court ultimately orders a detailed audit, the Karnataka government could face a protracted legal battle. A finding of vote theft would not only jeopardise the BJP’s tenure but could also trigger a new election. Moreover, the incident has amplified calls for the introduction of biometric verification at polling stations, independent observers, and real‑time vote‑counting systems to increase transparency.

From a political strategy standpoint, Yediyurappa’s decision to address the rally is a double‑edged sword. On the one hand, it positions him as a “clean‑hand” leader willing to confront the opposition’s allegations head‑on. On the other hand, it may inadvertently reinforce the narrative that the Karnataka government was built on a shaky foundation, thereby providing ammunition to rival parties.

6. Conclusion

The “Vote Chori” rally in Delhi on 15 December 2025, and the Karnataka CM’s statement that “a government born out of stolen votes is not democratic,” captured a moment of intense political turbulence. The event highlighted the fragility of India’s democratic institutions and the urgent need for transparent electoral processes. Whether the allegations of vote‑theft will be proven or disproven remains to be seen, but the rally has already left an indelible mark on Karnataka’s political landscape and may influence the narrative of the forthcoming national elections.