Vote chori factory thriving under EC’s nose, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi has reignited his “vote chori” (vote theft) campaign, this time directly accusing the Election Commission of protecting “vote thieves.” At a press conference held on 18th September, and in social media posts, Gandhi alleged that a centrally run, software-driven system is being used to delete or add voter names across states, mainly targeting communities that lean towards Congress.

Key allegations raised by Rahul Gandhi

• In Aland, Karnataka, 6,018 names were allegedly marked for deletion ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, mostly in booths strong for Congress. Gandhi said the deletions were carried out by software that could erase two voters in 36 seconds.

• In Rajura, Maharashtra, he claimed 6,850 bogus names were fraudulently added to the rolls using the same me thod.

• Gandhi alleged that the scheme was not isolated but operational in states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, calling it a “vote chori factory.”

• He produced sample forms of deletions allegedly filed without citizens’ knowledge, claiming whistleblowers inside the Election Commission had exposed the operation.

Election Commission’s response The EC rejected the charges as “baseless,” clarifying that no voter can be deleted online by the public. Officials said that in Aland, the attempted deletions were detected in time, FIRs were filed by election officers themselves, and all data was handed over to the CID. The Commission maintains that safeguards prevent any manipulation of the voter rolls.

Political reactions

• The BJP dismissed Gandhi’s claims as political theatrics, arguing Congress’s decline predates the present government and cannot be blamed on voter fraud.

• Supporters within Congress see Gandhi’s push as a bold call for accountability and transparency.

Rahul’s demands Gandhi has demanded that the EC share full technical data,including IP addresses and OTP logs,with Karnataka CID. He warned that failure to do so would prove the poll body’s complicity in what he called the “murder of the Constitution.”

While Gandhi has highlighted serious irregularities, so far no independent investigation has confirmed a systematic, large-scale fraud. The Aland case is under CID probe, but Congress still won that seat in 2023. Observers note that if software-based manipulation is proven, it would trigger a major electoral scandal. If not, the episode risks undermining Gandhi’s credibility.

For now, his “Vote Chori Factory” charge has sharpened the debate on election integrity and put the Election Commission under unprecedented political pressure.