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Key Points

The Election Commission of India has strongly rejected Rahul Gandhi's allegations of mass voter deletions in Karnataka's Aland constituency. The poll panel categorically stated that Gandhi's claims are baseless and demonstrated a misunderstanding of the electoral process. According to the ECI, no voter deletion can occur without providing an opportunity for the affected person to be heard. The controversy emerges ahead of crucial electoral discussions, with the BJP likely to view these allegations as an attempt to disrupt the political narrative.

Key Points: ECI Refutes Rahul Gandhi's Voter Deletion Claims in Karnataka

  • ECI calls Rahul Gandhi's voter deletion claims completely baseless
  • Karnataka's Aland constituency saw unsuccessful deletion attempts previously
  • Election panel filed FIR to investigate earlier deletion attempts
  • Gandhi alleges systematic voter deletion through fake logins
2 min read

'Baseless and incorrect': ECI rejects Rahul Gandhi's allegations of vote deletions

Election Commission firmly rejects Congress leader's allegations of mass voter deletions in Aland constituency as baseless and procedurally incorrect.

"No deletion can take place without giving an opportunity of being heard to the affected person - Election Commission of India"

New Delhi, Sep 18

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday rejected Rahul Gandhi's allegations of mass voter deletions in Karnataka's Aland Assembly constituency as 'baseless and incorrect'.

It also questioned Rahul Gandhi and Congress' understanding of the electoral process, and said that the latter's claims of vote deletion by any 'online tool' were a mere misconception.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, in a special press conference, claimed mass vote deletions, particularly in Congress strongholds, through fake logins and using phone numbers from outside the state. Claiming a 'systematised and organised' style of voter deletions, he alleged that 6,018 votes were deleted in Karnataka's Aland constituency.

The ECI, in a quick rebuttal to Rahul Gandhi's charge of vote deletions, said that no deletion of votes could be done by any member of the public, and it couldn't be done online, as "misconceived by Shri Rahul Gandhi".

"No deletion can take place without giving an opportunity of being heard to the affected person," said ECI.

The poll panel also informed that in 2023, certain unsuccessful attempts were made for the deletion of electors in the Aland Assembly constituency, and an FIR was also filed by the authority of ECI itself to investigate the matter.

For the unversed, the Aland constituency in Karnataka, which Rahul Gandhi purportedly described as a Congress stronghold, was won by Subhadh Guttedar (BJP) in 2018 and B.R. Patil (INC) in 2023.

Gandhi's fresh charges of vote deletions in Karnataka's Aland constituency are set to heat the political space. The poll panel is expected to formally dismiss his charges, while the BJP will dub the allegations as Congress' another attempt to obfuscate the electoral atmosphere, ahead of the Bihar elections.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi, in another special press conference a month ago, claimed that one lakh votes were added in Karnataka's Mahadevpura constituency.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Why does this keep happening before every election? Either side makes allegations. As a common voter, I just want free and fair elections without this political drama every time.
S
Sarah B
The ECI's clarification is important. Voter deletion cannot happen randomly online - there are proper procedures and hearings involved. Misinformation about electoral processes helps nobody.
A
Arjun K
Whether true or not, these allegations create doubt in voters' minds. ECI should conduct a transparent investigation and share findings publicly to maintain trust in our democracy.
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Vikram M
Interesting that ECI itself filed an FIR regarding attempted deletions in Aland. So something was happening there. Maybe not to the extent claimed, but worth proper investigation.
M
Michael C
Political parties should focus on actual issues affecting people rather than making unsubstantiated claims. This constant back-and-forth helps neither democracy nor development.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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