New Delhi/Dubai – Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has intensified his attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of protecting large-scale voter roll manipulation. With Bihar’s high-stakes election just weeks away, his charges have triggered a heated debate on the credibility of India’s democracy.
On Thursday in New Delhi, Gandhi directly named Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and accused him of “shielding those murdering democracy.” He said his Congress party had “100% proof” that officials deleted and added names in voter lists to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Gandhi Alleges Mass Deletions in Karnataka
Gandhi highlighted Aland constituency in Karnataka, where he claimed officials removed more than 6,000 names from voter lists in Congress strongholds. He argued that the missing names belonged largely to Dalits, OBCs, and minorities who traditionally support Congress.
According to Gandhi, people used automated software and fake logins linked to mobile numbers from outside Karnataka to delete these names. He described the act as a “systematic attempt to disenfranchise Opposition supporters.”
The Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has investigated the case since 2023. Gandhi said the CID wrote 18 letters in 18 months to the ECI requesting information, but the commission never replied.
Fake Voter Additions in Maharashtra
Gandhi also pointed to Rajura constituency in Maharashtra, where he alleged that officials added nearly 6,850 fake names. He argued that such insertions inflated the list to tilt the balance in BJP’s favor.
The Election Commission rejected his Karnataka claims but did not answer his Maharashtra charge.
Election Commission Pushes Back
The ECI strongly denied Gandhi’s accusations and called them “incorrect and baseless.” Officials clarified that no one can delete voter names online and stressed that every addition or removal follows strict procedures.
Regarding Karnataka, the ECI said it had already filed a police complaint in 2023 after detecting suspicious attempts to tamper with the Aland list. The commission insisted that Gandhi’s narrative misrepresented the facts.
Opposition Backs Gandhi
Top Congress leaders immediately rallied behind Rahul Gandhi. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the Election Commission of “colluding to destroy the electoral process” and urged citizens to defend democracy and the Constitution.
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge asked, “Who is the ECI shielding?” He argued that the commission’s silence only raises more doubts.
Some former chief election commissioners also supported Gandhi, saying the ECI must actively clear public doubts if it wants to preserve its credibility.
Bihar Elections Raise the Stakes
The clash comes just weeks before the Bihar assembly election, where over 130 million people will vote. For Congress and the INDIA bloc, Bihar represents a crucial battleground against the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi framed the issue as a fight for basic rights. “This is not about one party,” he said. “This is about Dalits, OBCs, minorities, and every Indian whose vote is being stolen. The Election Commission must answer who it is protecting, and why.”
Why Credibility Matters
India, with nearly a billion voters, runs one of the world’s largest democratic processes. The Election Commission has long enjoyed a reputation for free and fair elections, but allegations about electronic voting machines and now voter roll tampering have raised concerns.
