Rahul alleges mass voter deletions; EC rejects charges

Stepping up his offensive against the Election Commission of India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged mass deletion of voters from Congress strongholds in Karnataka during the 2023 Assembly election.

- AAISHA SABIR

He claimed that these voter that the deletions were carried out not by individuals, but through software in a centralised manner.

Accusing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of protecting those involved in “vote chori” and of “destroying democracy,” Gandhi cited data from Aland to allege that votes of Congress supporters were systematically removed in a targeted manner.

The Election Commission, however, dismissed the allegations as “incorrect and baseless," stating that no voter can be deleted without giving the affected person an opportunity to be heard. The EC noted that in 2023, "certain unsuccessful attempts" were made to delete electors in the Aland Assembly constituency, and an FIR was filed by the EC itself to investigate the matter.

"As per records, Aland Assembly Constituency was won by Subhadh Guttedar (BJP) in 2018 and B.R. Patil (INC) in 2023," it added.

The BJP, in turn, said Gandhi's repeated charges against constitutional institutions reflected his and the Congress party's lack of faith in Indian democracy.

Mounting another attack on the Election Commission, Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the poll panel must provide within a week the information sought by the Karnataka CID in its investigation into voter deletions.

"If not, it will be clear that it is complicit in the 'murder of the Constitution, Gandhi alleged at a press conference at the Congress' Indira Bhawan headquarters.

"I am going to make a serious claim about Gyanesh Kumar.

I am not saying this lightly. I am the Leader of the Opposition. The CEC is protecting 'vote chors' and those who have destroyed Indian democracy," he said.