Insaaf Times Desk

Congress leader and Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday leveled serious allegations against the Election Commission (EC), claiming that the names of opposition-supporting voters were deliberately removed during the 2023 assembly elections. He asserted that the process primarily targeted voters from Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, and minority communities.

Citing Karnataka’s Aland assembly constituency as an example, Rahul Gandhi said that at least 6,018 voters’ names were deleted from the electoral rolls. He alleged that the deletions were carried out through a centralized software system using fake mobile numbers and logins from outside the state. According to him, the system automatically removed voters’ names from the list.

He added that the issue came to light when a booth-level officer (BLO) discovered that a relative’s vote had disappeared and began an inquiry. The investigation reportedly revealed that only Congress-supporting voters’ names were being removed. Rahul Gandhi described this as a conspiracy against democracy.

The Election Commission dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s allegations as “false and baseless,” stating that no individual can remove names from the online voter list. The EC clarified that anyone whose name is removed is given the opportunity for a hearing. It also noted that some unsuccessful attempts were reported in the Aland constituency, for which FIRs have been filed and investigations are ongoing.

Rahul Gandhi also alleged that over 6,800 voter names were removed in Rajura assembly constituency of Chandrapur district in Maharashtra. He claimed that the margin of defeat for the Congress candidate in that constituency was far less than the number of deleted votes. The Maharashtra Congress has demanded a fair and impartial investigation from the Election Commission.

Rashtriya Congress Party (RCP) chief Sharad Pawar questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission, warning that a lack of fairness could fuel public dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the BJP dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s claims as a “joke,” accusing him of making baseless allegations aimed at undermining democratic institutions.

The controversy has now raised serious questions about the Election Commission’s neutrality and the transparency of the electoral process. Congress and other opposition parties are demanding a high-level inquiry to safeguard the integrity of democracy.