Karnataka CEO Rejects Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ Allegations In Aland

The controversy around Rahul Gandhi's allegations of large-scale voter deletions in Karnataka's Aland constituency has taken a new turn, with the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) dismissing the claims and clarifying the sequence of events.

During a recent address, Rahul Gandhi alleged that "vote chori" (voter theft) was underway in India, pointing specifically to Aland in Kalaburagi district. He claimed that nearly 6,018 voters' names were deleted, particularly in areas where the Congress party enjoyed electoral strength. Gandhi also highlighted the case of a woman named Godabai, alleging that her details were misused in a fraudulent attempt to delete the names of 12 voters.

Responding to these accusations, the Karnataka CEO issued a statement explaining the facts. According to the Election Returning Officer (ERO) of Aland, a total of 6,018 Form 7 applications were submitted in December 2022 through official apps like NVSP, VHA, and GARUDA. These applications were requests for deletion of voter names from the rolls.

The applications underwent detailed verification. Out of the 6,018 received, 24 were found to be genuine, while the remaining 5,994 were deemed invalid or incorrect. The CEO stressed that the invalid applications were rejected outright, ensuring that those names remained intact in the voters' list.

To address concerns of misuse, the ERO of Aland filed an FIR in February 2023 at the local police station. Further, on September 6, 2023, the CEO's office forwarded all relevant case details to the Superintendent of Police, Kalaburagi, to assist in the investigation.

The clarification directly counters Rahul Gandhi's claim of "mass voter deletion," with the election authorities maintaining that safeguards prevented any large-scale tampering of the electoral rolls. The FIR ensures that any individuals involved in the filing of fraudulent applications will face legal scrutiny.

The development highlights the sensitivity around India's electoral rolls, with both political parties and election officials closely monitoring deletion requests to prevent irregularities ahead of upcoming elections.