"Shamelessness of BJP-EC": Rahul Gandhi Alleges Massive Voter Deletion Plot
Rahul Gandhi slams BJP and Election Commission over alleged attempt to delete 15,000 voters in Karnataka's Belagavi region.
In a scathing attack on the ruling dispensation and the country's top poll body, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has alleged a coordinated conspiracy to disenfranchise thousands of voters in Karnataka. The Congress leader claimed that a massive attempt was made to erase nearly 15,000 names from the electoral rolls in the Belagavi region through a systematic and automated process.
The "Flood" of Form 7 Applications
Taking to the social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi detailed a suspicious surge in administrative filings. He alleged that between September 22 and September 24, a "flood" of Form 7 applications was submitted in bulk. For the uninitiated, Form 7 is the official document used to object to a name's inclusion or to request the deletion of a voter from the existing electoral rolls.
According to Gandhi, this sudden influx of applications was not random but targeted. He claimed the primary objective was to remove specific communities that traditionally vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), specifically mentioning:
- Muslim voters
- Scheduled Castes (SC)
- Scheduled Tribes (ST)
- Other Backward Classes (OBC)
Allegations of "Vote Theft" via Software
The Congress leader went further by describing a high-tech method of electoral manipulation. He alleged that the deletions are not manual errors but are executed through a centralized software system designed to target "select" individuals. Gandhi claimed that BJP and Election Commission (EC) officials are colluding to use automated means to submit these forms, causing names to vanish "in the blink of an eye."
"I had already exposed this method of vote theft - votes are deleted through software in a centralised manner," Gandhi stated, adding that the entire operation is being controlled from the highest levels of power.
Demands for FIR and Resignation
The controversy has escalated into a demand for legal action. Gandhi noted that Karnataka Congress leaders are currently seeking the registration of an FIR against those responsible at the office of the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). He questioned why the CEO has allegedly refused to register the complaint.
In a highly charged statement, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of "destroying democracy." He went as far as to term these alleged actions as "treason" and demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission's Response
Amidst these heavy allegations, regional election authorities and the Election Commission have moved to clarify the existing procedural safeguards. Officials emphasized that the electoral process is not as instantaneous as alleged.
According to the authorities, the following steps are mandatory before any name can be removed from the rolls:
- Physical Field Verification: Every Form 7 application must undergo on-ground verification.
- Official Notices: Affected voters must be issued formal notices regarding the objection.
- Due Process: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) must conduct a thorough investigation and follow established protocols before any deletion is finalized.
The authorities maintained that no voter's name can be deleted automatically or solely based on the submission of a Form 7 application without following these rigorous verification steps.