NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has strongly refuted allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, terming his claims of large-scale voter deletions in Karnataka’s Aland Assembly Constituency as “incorrect and baseless.”
In a statement issued under #ECIFactCheck, the Commission clarified that no deletion of any vote can be done online by the public, contrary to what was suggested in Gandhi’s press conference.
The poll body acknowledged that in 2023, certain unsuccessful attempts were indeed made to delete electors in Aland, but stressed that an FIR was filed by the ECI itself to investigate the matter.
Citing electoral records, the ECI reminded that Aland was won by BJP’s Subhadh Guttedar in 2018 and by INC’s BR Patil in 2023, dismissing any narrative of systematic manipulation.
The clarification comes after Rahul Gandhi presented documents in Delhi alleging targeted voter deletions in Aland, claiming that Dalits, minorities, and opposition-leaning voters were deliberately removed from the rolls.
The ECI’s rebuttal is seen as a direct counter to the Congress leader’s charge, as political sparring over electoral integrity intensifies ahead of future polls.
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