In a significant political development, Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar has submitted a massive collection of over 1.12 crore signatures to the party headquarters as part of the ongoing campaign against alleged electoral malpractices termed as 'vote chori'.
Massive Public Response to Signature Drive
The Congress party had initiated an ambitious nationwide campaign on September 15, 2025, with the goal of collecting five crore signatures from Indian citizens concerned about electoral integrity. The campaign, which gained substantial traction across social media platforms using the hashtag #VoteChori, represents one of the largest public mobilization efforts in recent Indian political history.
Shivakumar, who serves as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, personally handed over the collected signatures at the party headquarters in Delhi. In his official statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he emphasized that each signature contained verified details and phone numbers, ensuring the authenticity of the campaign's support base.
Leadership and Political Context
The signature campaign operates under the leadership of Congress stalwarts Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, who have been vocal about their concerns regarding the electoral process in India. According to party statements, the Congress leadership believes they have uncovered serious irregularities that need immediate attention from constitutional authorities.
The timing of this submission is particularly significant as it comes amid ongoing political debates about election transparency and voter verification processes. The collected signatures are ultimately intended to be presented to President Droupadi Murmu, symbolizing a direct appeal to the highest constitutional authority in the country.
Future Steps and Political Implications
With the initial target of five crore signatures still ongoing, the submission of 1.12 crore marks a substantial milestone in the Congress party's campaign. The party has positioned this effort as a democratic movement to protect voting rights and ensure free and fair elections in India.
Political analysts suggest this campaign represents a strategic move by the Congress to mobilize public opinion around electoral reforms and transparency issues. The substantial public response, as evidenced by the signature count, indicates significant public engagement with the party's message about electoral integrity concerns.
As the campaign continues, all eyes will be on how the party leverages this public support in its ongoing political strategy and whether the collected signatures will indeed reach the President's office as planned.
