New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has leveled serious allegations of large-scale “vote theft” in Karnataka and Maharashtra, accusing the Election Commission of protecting those responsible.
Speaking at a press conference, Gandhi said that in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, as many as 6,018 voters’ names were deleted through an organized online system. He claimed that mobile numbers from outside the state were used to submit requests for deletions. “When we checked, we found that in many cases, neighbors’ details were misused to delete voter names. This entire process was systematically organized online,” Gandhi alleged.
He further said that phone numbers used in the process did not belong to Karnataka and were unreachable when contacted. “This is targeted deletion. Wherever Congress was strong, voters were removed. In eight out of ten booths where Congress won in 2018, more than 6,000 names were targeted for deletion,” he added.
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18 Sept 2025
“A Single System, Two States”
According to Gandhi, the same method was used in Maharashtra’s Rajura constituency, but instead of deletions, 6,850 names were added. “In Aland, votes were deleted, and in Rajura, they were added under the same system,” he said.
He cited the example of voters like Goda Bai, on whose identity 12 votes were deleted without her knowledge, and Surya Kant, in whose name 12 deletions were processed within 14 minutes. “When these people were asked, they said they never did it. This proves the entire system is software-driven,” Gandhi remarked.
“Election Commission Is Not Sleeping – It’s Involved”
The Congress leader accused the Election Commission of complicity. “Initially we thought the Commission was unaware, but no, they are wide awake. The Chief Election Commissioner is protecting vote thieves. I am speaking with 100% evidence,” he asserted.
Gandhi revealed that Karnataka’s CID has written 18 letters in 18 months to the Election Commission, seeking basic information such as:
- The destination IP addresses from which the forms were filed.
- The device and port details.
- The OTP trail used during the online deletion process.
“Despite repeated requests, the Election Commission has refused to share this information. Why are they hiding it?” Gandhi asked. He directly named Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of shielding those behind the fraud.
The “Hydrogen Bomb” Remark
Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier hinted at exposing a “hydrogen bomb” of election fraud, said during the press meet that the real “explosion” was still coming. “This is just the beginning. What happened in Aland and Rajura is proof that democracy is under systematic attack through software manipulation,” he concluded.
