NEW DELHI, Sept. 19, 2025 — Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi escalated his attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, accusing it of facilitating voter manipulation and shielding those responsible for alleged electoral fraud. In a sharply worded statement, Gandhi referred to the poll body as “Chunaav ka Chawkidaar” (election watchman) that “stayed awake, watched the theft, and protected the thieves”.
The remarks were made during a press conference at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi and amplified through a post in Hindi on social media platform X. Gandhi alleged that votes belonging to Congress supporters were systematically deleted in Karnataka’s Aland constituency ahead of the 2023 assembly elections. He also cited Maharashtra’s Rajura constituency, where he claimed 6,850 voters were added fraudulently using automated software.
Gandhi presented a 36-second video explaining what he described as the modus operandi of “vote theft,” claiming that voter deletions could be executed in mere seconds. “Wake up at 4 a.m. Eliminate two voters in 36 seconds. Then go back to sleep — this is how vote theft happens,” he said.
He demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar provide all relevant data to the Karnataka CID within a week, warning that failure to do so would confirm the EC’s complicity in what he termed the “murder of the Constitution”. Gandhi also stated that the revelations shared so far were not the “hydrogen bomb” disclosures he had previously promised, suggesting more explosive evidence may follow.
The Election Commission responded swiftly, dismissing the allegations as “incorrect and baseless.” It clarified that no vote deletion can be carried out online by any member of the public, countering Gandhi’s claims of systemic manipulation.
The controversy has sparked political reactions across party lines. BJP leaders, including MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, accused Gandhi of misleading the public and undermining democratic institutions. Prasad noted that the alleged voter deletions occurred before Gyanesh Kumar assumed office as CEC in February 2025.
Gandhi’s comments come amid heightened political tensions and ongoing investigations into voter roll discrepancies. He has called upon India’s youth and students to defend the Constitution and safeguard democracy, reiterating his commitment to transparency and electoral integrity.
