Election Commission dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote deleted using software’ charges
**Election Commission Dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Deletion Using Software’ Charges**
*By Chanshimla Varah | Sep 18, 2025 | 01:27 PM*
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations regarding voter list manipulation as “incorrect and baseless.” The Commission emphasized that no votes can be deleted online, countering Gandhi’s claims.
### Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations
At a press conference held on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi alleged that 6,018 votes were attempted to be deleted from Karnataka’s Aland Assembly constituency using specialized software and phone numbers from outside the state. He further accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of colluding with those involved in these actions.
Gandhi urged the CEC, stating,
“CEC Gyanesh Kumar needs to stop protecting the people who are destroying Indian democracy. We have given you 100% bulletproof proof here. EC has to release this data of these phones, these OTPs, within a week. In Rajura, Maharashtra, 6,815 targeted voters were added. In Aland, we caught deletions; in Rajura, we got additions, but the basic idea is the same.”
He added that this alleged manipulation is happening in multiple states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
### ECI’s Clarification and Response
The Election Commission clarified that no voter name can be removed from the electoral rolls without providing the affected individual an opportunity to be heard. While the ECI acknowledged some unsuccessful attempts to delete electors in Aland—which were promptly flagged by the Commission itself—an FIR has already been filed in the matter.
The Commission also explained that field verification is mandatory for any removal of voters from rolls, debunking Gandhi’s claim of a “call center-type modus operandi” being used for mass deletions.
### Allegations Regarding Congress Strongholds
Rahul Gandhi claimed that these deletions targeted Congress strongholds. He introduced a woman named Godabai, alleging that her identity was used to create fake logins for deleting voters.
However, the ECI pointed out that the Aland Assembly seat was won by Congress candidate B.R. Patil in 2023, undermining the claim that deletions were conducted to weaken Congress’ position there.
### Context of Ongoing Allegations
This recent press conference is part of a series of accusations made by Rahul Gandhi regarding alleged “vote chori” (vote theft). In an earlier statement on August 7, he accused the Election Commission of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to facilitate vote manipulation.
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The Election Commission’s firm rejection of these charges reiterates its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process amidst political controversies.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/politics/election-commission-dismisses-rahul-gandhi-s-charge-against-cec-gyanesh-kumar/story
