Rahul Gandhi claims mass voter deletions targeting party supporters; Election Commission denies charges, BJP calls it a political stunt
In a sharp political escalation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those responsible for alleged mass voter deletions across India, calling it an attack on democracy. Citing specific examples from Karnataka and Maharashtra, Gandhi alleged a systematic attempt to remove Congress-leaning voters using automated means. The Election Commission firmly denied the charges as “baseless,” stressing that voter deletions follow due legal process, BJP’s Anurag Thakur slammed Gandhi, calling them “fabricated”, aimed at deflecting from Congress’s electoral setbacks.
Gandhi, who accused Gyanesh Kumar of protecting “vote chors” and those who have destroyed democracy, cited data from Karnataka’s Aland constituency to claim that votes of Congress supporters were being systematically deleted ahead of elections.
Gandhi said the Election Commission must stop this and provide within one week information sought by the Karnataka CID in an investigation into voter deletions. He described his revelations as another milestone in showing youth how elections are being rigged, adding that these are not the “hydrogen bomb” he promised which would be coming soon.
Gandhi spoke of attempts in Aland in 2023 to delete 6,018 votes, alleging impersonation and use of mobile numbers from outside Karnataka and also cited a case in Maharashtra’s Rajura constituency of fraudulent additions. He also called on stage people whose votes were attempted to be deleted or whose names were misused, both of whom denied awareness of any wrongdoing. “I am the leader of opposition and I will not say anything which is not backed by 100 per cent proof,” he said.
The ECI rejected Gandhi’s allegations of widespread voter deletions as “incorrect and baseless,” stating that no online deletion of any vote can occur by the public, and procedural safeguards exist. It clarified that electoral roll changes follow due process and that no irregular mass deletions as claimed have been recorded, asking Gandhi either to provide evidence under oath or retract his allegations.
BJP leader Anurag Thakur strongly countered Rahul’s claims, calling them a “blunder,” not a revelation. He accused Congress of seeking to protect its vote-bank under the guise of exposing fraud, questioning the authenticity of Gandhi’s data, claiming similar claims were made by the opposition in various states without credible proof. He alleged that Congress was resisting necessary revisions like the Special Intensive Revision because genuine voters are being corrected, but Congress portrays it as disenfranchisement. “There is dust on your face; you kept cleaning the mirror,” he said
