NewKerala.com

Key Points

Tehseen Poonawalla has sharply criticized the Election Commission of India following Rahul Gandhi's allegations of voter duplication. He highlighted absurd cases like 80 voters registered in one small home. Poonawalla demanded transparency from the ECI instead of just seeking affidavits from opposition leaders. Meanwhile, UP's electoral officer has dismissed Gandhi's claims about duplicate voters across states.

Key Points: Tehseen Poonawalla Slams ECI Over Rahul Gandhi Voter Fraud Claims

  • Poonawalla questions ECI's inaction on alleged voter discrepancies
  • Highlights cases of 80 voters in single-bedroom homes
  • Criticizes ECI for demanding affidavits instead of transparency
  • Asks legal avenues to challenge electoral roll irregularities
2 min read

Tehseen Poonawalla questions ECI's role amid Rahul Gandhi's allegations of voter duplication

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla demands ECI accountability after Rahul Gandhi exposes alleged voter duplication in multiple states.

"What kind of electoral roll is this? Aditya Srivastava is getting jobs in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. - Tehseen Poonawalla"

Pune, Aug 12

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla on Tuesday raised pointed questions at the Election Commission of India (ECI) after Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleged that two voters — Aditya Srivastava and Vishal Singh — were registered in multiple states.

He demanded clarity on what action the ECI is taking against Booth Level Officers (BLOs) allegedly responsible for such discrepancies.

Speaking to IANS, Tehseen Poonawalla said: "What kind of electoral roll is this? Aditya Srivastava is getting jobs in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. In one single-bedroom home, there are 80 registered voters -- and they aren’t even from the same religion. In another house, 46 people are registered, yet only three senior citizens actually live there. The ECI claims that BLOs will correct such errors -- but what are they really doing? What action has been taken?"

"This is the Election Commission of India, not the East India Company. The ECI is busy demanding affidavits from Opposition leaders. Why doesn’t it submit affidavits to the Opposition? If the Opposition is lying, why not file a case against them? Because these voter rolls are under their watch — they either exist as they are, or they don’t," he added.

Poonawalla also questioned the legal avenues available to challenge such irregularities: "Under which section should the Opposition lodge a complaint? The Representation of the People Act clearly allows objections to electoral rolls within one month of their publication. Such objections must be filed with the returning officer — but who exactly is the returning officer in these cases?"

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa has dismissed Gandhi’s claims. According to the Congress leader, data extracted from the ECI’s website on March 16, 2025, showed Aditya Srivastava and Vishal Singh registered in Varanasi and Lucknow constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, as well as in other states.

On July 31, Gandhi delivered a 22-page presentation, lasting over an hour, on alleged voter list irregularities. Using Karnataka’s Mahadevpura Assembly seat as a case study, he claimed that Congress could have won 16 seats instead of nine had such duplications been prevented.

Gandhi further accused the ECI of deliberately providing non-machine-readable voter lists to hinder fraud detection, revealing that his team sifted through paper stacks "seven feet high" over six months to compile evidence.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While the concerns are valid, I wish opposition leaders would present such findings before elections rather than after defeats. Feels like political posturing now. ECI should investigate but also maintain neutrality.
A
Aditya G
As someone who recently moved cities, I can confirm voter registration process needs overhaul. My name still appears in hometown despite submitting transfer application 6 months back! System is outdated.
N
Nisha Z
The "80 voters in single bedroom" claim seems exaggerated. While there may be issues, such dramatic statements reduce credibility. ECI should conduct sample audits across states to establish facts.
S
Siddharth J
Why no discussion about Aadhaar linking? We link it for everything from gas subsidy to bank accounts, but not for voting? This could solve duplication overnight! #AadhaarForVoting
K
Kavitha C
As a BLO volunteer in Bangalore, I can say our hands are tied. We report discrepancies but higher authorities often ignore due to political pressure. The system needs more autonomy at ground level.

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

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50