New Delhi, September 18, 2025 – In a fiery press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Indira Bhawan, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi unleashed what he described as “bullet-proof” evidence of systematic voter deletions targeting opposition voters, particularly from Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, and minority communities. Labeling it a “centralized criminal setup to steal elections,” Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of shielding the perpetrators and demanded the immediate release of technical data to unmask those behind the fraud. While teasing his promised “hydrogen bomb” revelations for a future date, Gandhi focused on the Aland Assembly constituency in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district as a stark example of electoral manipulation.
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The Aland Case: A Blueprint for Voter Suppression
Gandhi detailed how, ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, fraudsters impersonated voters to file 6,018 Form 7 applications (used for voter deletions) in Aland, a Congress stronghold. These applications were allegedly submitted en masse using automated software and mobile numbers traced to BJP-ruled states outside Karnataka, such as Maharashtra. The deletions targeted voters likely to support Congress, and the operation was so sophisticated that forms were processed in as little as 36 seconds – far beyond human capability.
- Scale of the Fraud: Out of 6,018 applications, only 24 were genuine; the remaining 5,994 were forged. As a result, 2,494 names were deleted before the scam was detected.
- How It Was Caught: The plot unraveled by coincidence when a Booth Level Officer (BLO) – an anganwadi teacher – received a forged Form 7 to delete her own family’s names, claiming they had “shifted.” Upon investigation, the signatory denied any involvement. Congress workers flagged the anomaly, leading to an FIR in February 2023 and a probe by the Karnataka CID.
- Election Impact: Aland was won by Congress candidate B.R. Patil by a narrow margin of 10,348 votes in May 2023. Gandhi claimed that without intervention, the seat would have been “stolen,” potentially flipping the state assembly outcome.
The CID’s investigation revealed that the deletions were uploaded online across 256 polling booths, using IPs and devices from distant locations. However, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has withheld critical technical data – including IP logs, device IDs, and login details – for over two years, stalling the probe. Gandhi questioned: “Gyanesh Kumar is not telling the Karnataka CID who is behind this. This is the future – your jobs, your Constitution.”
Broader Allegations: A Pattern Across States
Gandhi framed Aland as part of a nationwide conspiracy, citing similar manipulations in other constituencies:
- Rajura, Maharashtra: 6,850 unexplained additions and deletions, with affected voters unaware their details were used.
- Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR): Mass deletions of opposition-leaning voters, echoing Aland’s tactics.
- Historical Context: Gandhi referenced earlier Congress exposes, including over 1 lakh fake votes added in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and bulk deletions in Bihar where the Supreme Court intervened to force data release.
He alleged the ECI’s refusal to provide searchable voter data (releasing it instead in bulky PDFs) and videography from polling booths enables this “vote chori” (vote theft). “This is not negligence; the ‘C’ in ECI stands for criminals,” Gandhi said, vowing to educate India’s youth on how democracy is being undermined.
Reactions and Demands
- Congress Leadership: AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge echoed the call, launching a newsletter to track “vote chori” and questioning if the ECI has become the BJP’s “back office.”
- Karnataka Government: Ministers like Priyank Kharge (IT/BT and RDPR) renewed demands for ECI cooperation, highlighting the probe’s roadblock.
- BJP Counter: BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya dismissed the claims as recycled, accusing Congress of doxxing voters and facing its own fraud allegations.
- ECI Stance: The poll body has not responded directly to today’s revelations but previously demanded affidavits from Gandhi for prior claims, which he rejected as unconstitutional.
Gandhi demanded:
- Release of all technical data within a week.
- A full inquiry into deletions/additions in marginal constituencies.
- Transparent, searchable voter rolls to prevent future fraud.
Timeline of the Aland Voter Deletion Scandal
| Date/Event | Key Development |
|---|---|
| Early 2023 | Forged Form 7 applications flood Aland’s electoral rolls; BLO detects anomaly in family deletions. |
| February 2023 | Congress complains; FIR filed by Kalaburagi Assistant Commissioner Mamta Devi. |
| May 2023 | Case transferred to CID; Congress wins Aland by 10,348 votes despite 2,494 deletions. |
| Post-2023 | CID verifies 5,994 forgeries; requests ECI data (IPs, devices) – withheld to date. |
| September 7, 2025 | Kharge revives issue via X post, citing The Hindu report. |
| September 18, 2025 | Gandhi’s press conference exposes “centralized” software use; demands CEC accountability. |
This scandal underscores ongoing tensions between the opposition and ECI, with Gandhi warning that unchecked, it could erode the “one person, one vote” principle. As probes languish, questions linger: Who controls the software? And why is the ECI silent? The Congress plans nationwide protests to amplify the issue ahead of upcoming state polls.
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