Rahul Gandhi Accuses Election Commission of Shielding 'Vote Theft'
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of protecting those who are “destroying” democracy by failing to act on alleged voter list manipulation. Citing investigations in Karnataka's Aland and Maharashtra's Rajura constituencies, Gandhi claimed thousands of votes were systematically deleted or added using automated software. He stated the Karnataka CID has sent 18 letters to the EC seeking IP addresses and other data, but has received no response, alleging this inaction amounts to defending electoral fraud.
Unpacked:
Rahul Gandhi cited the deletion of at least 6,018 votes in Aland, Karnataka, during the 2023 elections, discovered when a booth-level officer noticed her uncle’s vote was missing. He also referenced investigations into systematic addition and deletion of votes using automated software in both Karnataka and Maharashtra constituencies.
The Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has reportedly sent 18 letters to the Election Commission, requesting IP addresses and other technical data to aid their investigation into the alleged voter list manipulation. According to Gandhi, they have not received any response.
According to Rahul Gandhi, the Election Commission has not responded to the 18 requests for information from the Karnataka CID regarding the alleged voter list manipulation, which he claims amounts to protecting those involved in electoral fraud.
Allegations of voter list manipulation and electoral fraud have been recurring issues in Indian elections, with political parties often accusing each other of deleting or adding votes for electoral advantage. Concerns about the use of technology and data management in elections have grown as digital systems become more central to the process.