“Rahul Gandhi Alleges Deletion of Over 6,000 Voters’ Names in Karnataka, Presents ‘Proof’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday intensified his “vote chori” campaign, claiming a systematic deletion of voter names in Karnataka, and accusing the BJP and the Election Commission of complicity. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, he said he has “undeniable proof” of manipulation of electoral rolls, particularly citing the Aland constituency.

Gandhi alleged that software and fake applications are being used to remove names from the voters’ list. He asserted that this is not the result of isolated instances or human error, but part of a centralised scheme targeting mostly minority communities. According to him, over 6,018 votes were deleted in Aland in 2023, and that number is likely just a small portion of a larger operation yet to be uncovered.

He described how an electoral officer discovered the deletion when her uncle’s name vanished from the rolls. On investigating, she traced it to someone registered as a neighbour, who denied any deletion. Gandhi claims this reveals “some other force hijacked the process.” He also shared stories from several booths, including one woman, Godabai, whose name was among those removed after fake logins were used.

Charging that the operation appears to have been coordinated, he said mobile phone numbers drawn from different states were used to submit fake applications, and that serial numbers of deleted names suggest an automated pattern — in many cases, the first name listed at a booth was specifically targeted. He also pointed out that many of the booths with the highest number of deletions are Congress strongholds, suggesting electoral motives.

Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of protecting those responsible, saying the EC has ignored repeated requests from Karnataka’s CID for digital records that could trace the origin of the alleged fraud. The CID reportedly wrote 18 letters over 18 months to the EC, asking for data that could expose the network, but Gandhi claims no cooperation has come.

In response, the Election Commission dismissed the allegations. It said the claims are “baseless” and “irresponsible,” and insisted that no deletions can happen online by members of the public. Gandhi said that while he had promised a “hydrogen bomb” of evidence, what he presented was only a preview, but urged that the constitutional bodies are failing in their duties by not acting.