Rahul Gandhi Accuses CEC of Vote Theft, EC Denies Allegations

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of shielding "vote chors" and those undermining democracy. Speaking at a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Indira Bhawan, Gandhi presented what he called irrefutable evidence from Karnataka's Aland constituency, alleging a systematic campaign to delete votes of Congress supporters ahead of the 2023 assembly elections. He urged the ECI to immediately halt such manipulations and provide critical data requested by the Karnataka CID within a week.

Gandhi framed his revelations as a wake-up call for India's youth, emphasizing that these incidents expose how elections are being rigged to subvert the will of the people. "This is not the 'hydrogen bomb' of exposures I promised—those are coming soon," he teased, referencing his earlier statements during the Voter Adhikar Yatra on September 1, where he vowed to unveil explosive details on "vote chori" that would leave Prime Minister Narendra Modi unable to face the nation. Building on last month's claims from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where he alleged over one lakh votes were stolen in Karnataka's Mahadevapura segment through digital tampering, Gandhi described vote theft as an "atom bomb on our democracy."

Diving into specifics from Aland, Gandhi recounted a startling incident where 6,018 voter deletion applications were filed impersonating legitimate voters. He narrated how a booth-level officer discovered her uncle's name had been removed from the rolls, leading to an investigation that uncovered automated deletions using mobile numbers traced outside Karnataka. "Someone hijacked the process and got caught by sheer luck," Gandhi said, calling on stage a voter whose details were misused and the individual whose name was falsely used—both vehemently denying any involvement. He asserted that sophisticated software was orchestrating these deletions nationwide, targeting millions of voters, particularly those aligned with opposition parties.

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Gandhi highlighted the Karnataka CID's ongoing probe, noting that in 18 months, they had sent 18 letters to the ECI seeking basic information like IP addresses and OTP trails for the fraudulent applications. "The EC knows exactly who's behind this but refuses to share, protecting the murderers of democracy," he charged, warning that such actions jeopardize the future of young voters. He reiterated his commitment: "As Leader of Opposition, I speak only with 100% proof."

The ECI swiftly rebutted Gandhi's claims as "incorrect and baseless," clarifying that no voter deletions can occur online by the public without due process. "Deletions require an opportunity for the affected person to be heard," the commission stated in a terse response, dismissing the notion of systematic manipulation. The ECI's denial has only fueled the controversy, with Congress demanding transparency and an independent audit of electoral rolls.

This escalating feud between Gandhi and the ECI underscores deepening concerns over electoral integrity in India, especially with state elections looming. Political analysts suggest Gandhi's aggressive stance could rally opposition forces but risks alienating institutions tasked with upholding fair polls. As the "hydrogen bomb" revelations loom, the nation watches closely for what could be a seismic shift in the discourse on democratic safeguards.

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