The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued a detailed clarification on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of wrongful deletion and manipulation of voters.
The poll body categorically stated that no deletion of votes can be done online by any member of the public and that all deletions are subject to a legally mandated verification process.
In a press release the EC stated that while Form 7 can be submitted online to apply for deletion of an elector's entry, such entries are not automatically deleted upon submission.
"As per the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, no name is deleted without issuing a notice to the affected person and giving him an opportunity of being heard," the statement read.
EC addresses voter deletion row in Aland
The EC disclosed that a total of 6,018 applications were submitted online in Aland for deletion of voters through Form 7. Upon scrutiny, only 24 of these were found to be genuine, while 5,994 were rejected as incorrect. Due to the suspiciously high number of false applications, an inquiry was initiated, and an FIR was registered by the Aland Police Station on February 21, 2023, based on findings by the Electoral Registration Officer.
According to the Commission, critical details such as the names of objectors, EPIC numbers, mobile numbers, IP addresses and application submission metadata were handed over to the investigating authorities. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka has been providing continuous support to the investigation.
Similar concerns in Maharashtra’s Rajura
In Rajura, Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, the poll body said it received 7,792 applications for new voter registration. However, 6,861 of these were found to be invalid and subsequently rejected. Suspecting foul play due to the large number of false applications, an FIR was registered at Rajura Police Station following an inquiry by the Electoral Registration Officer.
EC repeats commitment to transparency
Reiterating its commitment to free and fair elections, the EC emphasised that all entries in the Electoral Roll are governed strictly by law.
“Any correction, deletion, or inclusion in the Electoral Roll can always be made as per procedure laid down in law,” the press note said.
Rahul Gandhi's fresh charge against EC
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday ramped up his attack on the Election Commission, asserting that CEC Gyanesh Kumar was protecting powers which were behind "destroying democracy". To support his allegations, Gandhi cited data from an assembly seat in Karnataka, claiming that the votes of Congress supporters were deliberately deleted.
Votes deleted using software
Rahul Gandhi explained how deletions were allegedly carried out. According to him, software was used to impersonate voters and file deletion applications, with mobile numbers from outside Karnataka linked to the process. He said an automated program picked up the first name in the booth list for fraudulent deletions
