NEW DELHI/MYSURU, 7 AUG 

The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to share the names of electors he claimed were either included or excluded wrongfully from the voters' list of the State, along with a signed declaration for the poll authorities to initiate "necessary proceedings" in the matter.

Election Commission sources said Gandhi should either sign a declaration under the Conduct of Election Rules and submit the list of people who he claims were either wrongfully included or removed from the voters' list, or he should "stop misleading" the people of India and "stop making baseless allegations" against the poll authority.

In a letter to Gandhi after he levelled allegations of vote fraud, the State poll officer said that during a press conference in the national capital, "you had mentioned about the inclusion of ineligible electors and exclusion of eligible electors in the Electoral Rolls... ."

"You are kindly requested to sign and return the enclosed declaration/oath under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, along with the name(s) of such elector(s) so that necessary proceedings can be initiated."

EC functionaries here said the State CEO is expecting a signed declaration from Gandhi by this evening.

Gandhi hit back, saying he had signed a declaration and had made the remarks publicly. 

They can "take it as an oath,” he said. "I am a politician, and what I say to the people is my word. I am saying it to the people publicly, take it as an oath. Interestingly, they haven't denied the information.”

Cong is talking about vote theft to hide its failures: BJP 

The Congress is raising man's alleged vote theft to cover up its failings, said Mysuru BJP President and former MLA L Nagendra. People have already lost faith in the Congress and will not elect the party again, he added.  

He also criticised KPCC spokesperson M Lakshaman for claiming that there was a vote theft in Mysuru.

“How did Lakshman get the highest number of 70,000 lead votes in the Narasimha Raja assembly segment?” he asked. 

Lakshman had lost the last Parliamentary polls from Mysuru to the BJP candidate Yaduveer KC Wadiyar.