Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sharpened his attack on the Election Commission and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that “vote chori” (vote theft) was carried out using software tools and fake applications for voter deletions. He cited the case of Karnataka to illustrate how names were removed from electoral rolls, accusing the authorities of collusion and negligence.
Allegations of manipulated deletions
Speaking at a press briefing, Gandhi claimed that voter names were systematically deleted through fraudulent applications filed under Form 7. “Software was used, fake applications were filed, and genuine voters were struck off the rolls,” he said. The Congress leader argued that such manipulation compromised the sanctity of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Karnataka case highlighted
Gandhi referred to the Aland Assembly constituency in Karnataka, where 47 applications had allegedly been filed to delete votes from a single village. Residents later denied making any such applications, exposing the alleged misuse of the system. According to Gandhi, similar patterns were observed in other parts of Karnataka, raising questions about large-scale voter suppression.
Congress claims over one lakh votes ‘stolen’
Last month, Gandhi alleged that over one lakh votes had been “stolen” in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura Assembly segment. The Congress has maintained that these deletions disproportionately affected voters considered sympathetic to opposition parties, particularly in urban constituencies.
ECI response and criticism
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has so far rejected Gandhi’s allegations, asking him to submit evidence under oath. It described the charges as “baseless” and said the electoral process was transparent. However, former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi criticised the ECI’s response, stating it should have ordered an inquiry rather than issuing “offensive” remarks.
Political ramifications
The renewed charge has intensified political tensions ahead of upcoming state elections. While the BJP has dismissed Gandhi’s remarks as “political theatre”, the Congress insists it will release more evidence in the coming weeks, describing the issue as a “hydrogen bomb” on India’s democracy.
Conclusion
With Gandhi reiterating that elections in multiple states were “stolen”, the issue of voter roll integrity is now at the centre of political discourse. Whether the Congress can substantiate its claims with hard evidence will determine if the allegations lead to official scrutiny or remain part of political sparring.