NATIONAL: Vote Purge Plot? Rahul Gandhi Slams EC Silence
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has unleashed a fierce critique against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of India of shielding efforts that undermine democratic processes.
Speaking to the media on September 17, 2025, he insisted his claims rest on irrefutable evidence gathered through months of scrutiny.
Gandhi described a pattern of systematic voter roll tampering, particularly in Congress-leaning areas, which he says distorts electoral outcomes and erodes public trust.
Alleged Fake Deletions and System Abuse
Gandhi highlighted how fraudulent applications, submitted using bogus login credentials, led to the removal of legitimate voters.
He pointed to a centralized mechanism that enables planned deletions, often bypassing local oversight.
In Karnataka’s Aland constituency ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, he revealed 6,018 deletion requests filed by apparent impersonators, all targeting Congress supporters.
Similar patterns emerged in other regions, including minority and tribal communities.
- Phone numbers traced to other states were used for these Karnataka deletions, raising questions about external interference.
- One striking case: 14 applications under the name “Suryakant” lodged in just 12 minutes, suggesting automated hijacking.
Gandhi questioned the origins of these numbers and the operators behind them, demanding transparency on access IDs and one-time passwords for such actions.
Targeting Congress Strongholds
The deletions, Gandhi alleged, zero in on areas where Congress holds sway, with thousands of votes vanishing during the Karnataka elections.
He cited the Maharashtra’s Rajura Assembly seat, where 6,851 bogus entries were allegedly inserted, further skewing results.
This selective approach, he argued, ensures outcomes favor ruling interests, with officials seemingly unaware—or uninvolved—in the removals.
Despite Karnataka’s CID sending 18 requests over 18 months for deletion logs, including IP details, the EC has stonewalled, fueling suspicions of deliberate cover-up.
Broader Implications for Fair Play
Gandhi warned that without verifiable audit trails and machine-readable data, parties can’t effectively challenge anomalies.
He called for reforms like full disclosure of removal protocols to safeguard every citizen’s voting right.
These revelations, he noted, build on prior probes into over 100,000 suspect entries in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura segment from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, underscoring a nationwide concern.
As the EC urges sworn affidavits for evidence, Gandhi frames this as a pivotal stand for electoral integrity, vowing deeper exposures ahead.