New Delhi – The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday firmly rejected allegations made by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, regarding voter name deletions and electoral fraud.
Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations
During a recent press conference, Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of “protecting vote thieves” and undermining democracy.
He alleged that 6,018 votes were attempted to be deleted in Karnataka’s Aland Assembly constituency using software and mobile numbers from outside the state.
Gandhi also displayed the phone numbers he claimed were used to delete voters’ names, asserting that the deletions targeted Congress supporters before elections.
Election Commission’s Response
The Election Commission categorically dismissed the allegations as false and baseless. In an official statement, it clarified:
“No member of the public can delete any vote online, as Rahul Gandhi has falsely suggested.”
Any deletion process requires that the affected voter be given a fair opportunity to be heard.
The Commission further revealed that while there were unsuccessful attempts to tamper with the voter list in Aland, it was the ECI itself that filed an FIR to investigate the matter.
The Bigger Picture
The controversy highlights growing political tensions over electoral transparency. While the Congress leader accuses the Election Commission of shielding malpractice, the ECI insists that it remains committed to free and fair elections, taking strict measures to prevent any manipulation of the voter list.
