Bengaluru: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has raised serious concerns over the recent promotion of 1993 batch senior IAS officer Tushar Girinath to Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department, along with his additional charge in the Home Department. KPCC Deputy Spokesperson Anand Kumar MS has written to Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging Girinath’s involvement in irregularities related to voter awareness campaigns in Bengaluru.
Chilume Trust’s Controversial Voter Awareness Campaign
In 2022, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) granted permission to the Chilume Educational, Cultural and Rural Development Trust to conduct voter awareness campaigns across all 28 constituencies of Bengaluru. However, investigations by The News Minute and Pratidhwani revealed that agents of Chilume, posing as Booth Level Officers (BLOs), collected sensitive personal information including Aadhaar numbers, phone numbers, caste details, and political preferences. This data was allegedly uploaded to a private app, raising alarms over privacy violations, electoral integrity, and political misuse.
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Congress Alleges Vote Manipulation and Political Bias
Anand Kumar MS’s letter accused Tushar Girinath, who was then BBMP Commissioner, of deliberately handing over the election survey responsibilities to the BJP-affiliated Chilume Trust, leading to voter manipulation and neglect of Congress supporters. The letter further claims multiple administrative lapses and lack of transparency during the management of the campaign, which allegedly impacted electoral fairness.
Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have previously accused authorities of tampering with voter rolls in several regions, including Bengaluru and Aland (Kalaburagi district), describing the actions as ‘vote theft.’ In response to such allegations, the Congress-led Karnataka government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe these charges in Aland and other constituencies.
Calls for Inquiry and Public Concern Over Girinath’s Promotion
The KPCC has called for a detailed inquiry into the voter manipulation allegations, especially concerning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Anand Kumar MS expressed that despite the Congress being in power in Karnataka, the promotion of Tushar Girinath to a senior position has raised public suspicion and concerns about political impartiality and administrative ethics.
Furthermore, Congress has lodged two formal complaints with the Election Commission of India regarding Girinath’s role in outsourcing election duties to Chilume Trust.
Background: Rahul Gandhi’s Fight Against Voter Roll Manipulation
The controversy ties into Rahul Gandhi’s broader campaign against electoral irregularities across India. The party has held several press briefings highlighting how voter lists were manipulated to favor the ruling party in various states. The Bengaluru voter data scandal has intensified the debate over electoral reforms and the safeguarding of democratic processes.
