'HYDROGEN BOMB' TURNS FIRECRACKER: BJP ON RAHUL

Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of shielding voter deletions, a charge the poll body rejected as baseless.

- AJIT MAINDOLA/ ANAND SINGH/AGENCIES

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of shielding a “centralised, software-driven” operation to delete voters perceived to back Opposition parties, citing an attempted mass deletion in Karnataka’s Aland constituency as “proof”.

The ECI swiftly rejected the charges as “incorrect and baseless”, saying no member of the public can delete a vote online and that due process mandates a hearing before any deletion. The row came as senior BJP leaders sharpened a parallel attack on the Opposition over “infiltrators”, signalling hardened campaign lines ahead of the Bihar Assembly election.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Gandhi presented a slideshow he said detailed how “impersonated” applications were automatically filed using out-of-state mobile numbers to trigger deletions. He alleged a booth-level officer in Aland stumbled on the scheme when she discovered her uncle's name had been removed, only to find the supposed applicant—her neighbour—had no knowledge of filing any form. “This is being done in a centralised manner through software, not by individuals... specifically targeting voters from Dalit, OBC, Adivasi and minority communities,” he said, claiming attempts were made to delete 6,018 names in Aland during the 2023 poll cycle.