Rahul Gandhi doubles down, says election commission shielding ‘vote thieves’

Dubai: India’s opposition Congress party has launched a fresh offensive against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of blocking investigations into large-scale voter roll tampering and colluding to undermine the democratic process.

The poll body has firmly rejected the charges, calling them “incorrect” and “baseless,” setting the stage for a bruising confrontation ahead of high-stakes elections in Bihar.

The controversy erupted on Thursday when Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, unveiled what he called “100 per cent proof” of attempts to fraudulently delete thousands of voters in Karnataka’s Aland constituency.

At a press conference in New Delhi, Gandhi alleged that automated software and fake logins using mobile numbers from outside the state were used to remove over 6,000 voters, particularly in areas known to favour Congress.

“This is a systematic, organised attempt to disenfranchise voters — Dalits, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), minorities — who tend to support the Opposition,” Gandhi said.

“The Election Commission is refusing to share the data needed for a proper investigation. For 18 months, the Karnataka CID has written 18 times, but the ECI has not replied. Why? Because they are protecting the people who are destroying the Constitution.”

The charges were swiftly backed by his sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, who accused the ECI of “colluding to destroy the electoral process.”

Speaking to reporters in Kerala, she urged citizens to watch Rahul’s press conference and understand what she described as a grave threat to democracy. “We need to fight for democracy, the Constitution, and our country,” she declared.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge went further, questioning whether the poll body was “shielding” those behind voter fraud. “CID probing the Aland voter deletion case wrote 18 letters to the ECI, but critical information has been stonewalled,” he posted on X. “Who is the ECI shielding? Is BJP hollowing out the very institutions meant to protect our democracy?”

The party also highlighted cases of alleged fake deletions, including that of a woman named Godabai, whose name, along with 12 others, was deleted using a fabricated login. Senior leader Ashok Gehlot alleged that the phone numbers used to delete voters were traced to states outside Karnataka, raising suspicions of an organised conspiracy.

The ECI, however, dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.

In a sharply worded rebuttal, it said no member of the public can delete votes online, and that any deletion must follow due process with an opportunity for the voter to be heard. It acknowledged that there had been “unsuccessful attempts” to tamper with rolls in Karnataka in 2023, but said it had itself filed a police complaint and an FIR to investigate.

“No deletion can take place without proper verification. Allegations made by Shri Rahul Gandhi are misconceived and baseless,” the commission stated. It also noted that Aland was won by Congress candidate B.R. Patil in 2023, undermining claims that deletions tilted the outcome.

The timing of the row is crucial. Bihar, India’s third-most populous state with more than 130 million people, heads to polls in October or November. The opposition fears that alleged manipulations in Karnataka could be replicated there, amid what it calls a “mass disenfranchisement” drive.

Rahul Gandhi has doubled down, claiming he is receiving inside help from whistleblowers within the Election Commission itself. “We are now getting information from people inside the ECI. This will not stop. The youth will not accept vote theft,” he said.

The battle between India’s opposition and the Election Commission highlights growing tensions over the credibility of the country’s democratic institutions. As the Bihar elections near, the clash is likely to intensify—raising questions about both the independence of the poll body and the health of the world’s largest democracy.

-- With inputs from ANI, IANS