Unveiling what he called “The H Files”, Gandhi said the data collected by his team over months reveals a centrally coordinated operation to manipulate voter lists and subvert democracy itself. “This is not an accident. This is not about one booth or one constituency. It is a centralised operation to steal elections,” he declared at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi, a day before the Bihar Assembly elections begin.

“One in eight voters fake”: Rahul Gandhi

According to Gandhi, Haryana, with roughly two crore registered voters, had about 25.4 lakh bogus entries — meaning “one in every eight voters is fake.”

He said his team had classified the fake voters under five categories:

• 5.2 lakh duplicate voters,
• 93,174 invalid addresses,
• 19.2 lakh bulk voters (20 or more voters registered at the same address), and
• Several others linked to misuse of Form 6 (additions) and Form 7 (deletions).

“Despite clear technical capacity to detect duplicates, the ECI deliberately refused to run even a basic photo-identity matching query,” Gandhi alleged. “Why? Because they are helping the BJP.”

The ‘Brazilian Model’ case and recycled photos

Displaying a presentation with screenshots from the official voter database, Gandhi held up a photo of a woman he said is a Brazilian model, alleging that her image was used to create 22 separate voter IDs across 10 polling booths in Haryana. “What is a Brazilian woman doing on a voters’ list in Haryana?” he asked.

He further claimed that in some cases, the same photograph appeared 223 times across different constituencies. “This is just one example. There are thousands more. This is not voter error — this is organised fraud,” he asserted.

The Congress leader ridiculed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s explanation that voter IDs bearing “House No. 0” are reserved for homeless citizens. “We physically went to those addresses,” Gandhi said, showing a two-storey house listed as ‘House No. 0’. “This is not homelessness. This is hiding. The CEC is lying to the people of India.”

In one instance, Gandhi said, 501 voters were registered under a single address, calling it “statistical proof of systematic rigging.”

“Operation sarkar chori”: Rahul Gandhi

Calling the alleged operation “Sarkar Chori” (Government Theft), Gandhi said the manipulation was engineered to deny the Congress victory despite exit polls and internal assessments predicting a landslide win for his party.

“The Congress was poised to win comfortably, but they converted a victory into defeat through data manipulation,” he said, noting that in at least eight key constituencies, the BJP’s margin of victory was under 23,000 votes, while over 25 lakh fraudulent entries existed across the state.

“These eight seats — Uchana Kalan, Dadri, Rai, and others — were the difference between Congress forming the government and BJP stealing it,” Gandhi said.

Allegations against Election Commission

Gandhi accused the Election Commission of being “in partnership with the Prime Minister and Home Minister” in “destroying Indian democracy.”

He alleged that the poll body not only ignored evidence of fake and duplicate voters but also destroyed CCTV footage from polling stations to erase proof.

“The ECI can remove duplicate entries in seconds. All they have to do is run a query to identify identical photos or addresses. They don’t, because they’re complicit,” he said, calling the Commission a “collaborator in vote theft.”

Responding to ECI’s earlier defence that “no voter deletion can be done online,” Gandhi retorted that his team had used the Commission’s own data to trace these irregularities. “We are not fabricating anything. We are exposing what the ECI’s own numbers reveal,” he said.

“Industrialised vote theft”: Rahul Gandhi

Terming the manipulation “industrialised”, Gandhi said the same centralised pattern was visible in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, adding that the Congress had first detected the scam in Mahadevapura and Aland Assembly constituencies in Karnataka.

“In Aland, fake login IDs and mobile numbers were used to delete voters remotely. In Mahadevapura, over one lakh names were found to be either deleted or duplicated. We saw the same pattern in Haryana — that’s when we realised this is national-scale rigging,” Gandhi said.

He added that the same strategy was now being deployed in Bihar, where 47 lakh names were deleted during the recent voter list revision. Several affected voters from Bihar’s Jamui district joined Gandhi on stage, claiming their names were removed without notice.

“Thousands of BJP Voters in Two States”

Gandhi also claimed that thousands of BJP leaders and workers were registered in multiple states. “They are voting in both Uttar Pradesh and Haryana,” he said, citing examples of party office-bearers with dual entries.

To underline this, he played a video of BJP Kerala Vice President B. Gopalakrishnan, who had in August openly stated that his party would “bring voters from other states and settle them for a year to ensure victory.”

BJP’s counter and EC’s response

The BJP dismissed Gandhi’s allegations as a “fabricated conspiracy”, timed to influence the Bihar polls. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “This is a planned diversion. According to Hindustan Times, Rijiju said that the Opposition has no issue left in Bihar, so they are attacking institutions. Questioning the Election Commission and our democracy means questioning the country itself.”

Meanwhile, Election Commission officials, responding during the press conference, said there had been “zero appeals” against electoral rolls in Haryana and questioned the Congress’s polling agents for not objecting at booths. “If someone votes twice, agents can object on the spot. Why did they not?” an EC source asked.

The Commission reiterated that Gandhi’s earlier claims about voter deletions in Karnataka were “incorrect and baseless.”

Wider reactions

The explosive allegations drew backing from opposition leaders. Aditya Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), said the issue “transcends party politics” and concerns “the value of every Indian’s vote.”

“Once again, Rahul Gandhi has exposed the Election Commission’s fraud that helps the BJP capture states via vote theft,” Thackeray said on X (formerly Twitter). “The world is watching how our elections are no longer free and fair. This is not about parties — this is about democracy itself.”

He added that his party had also flagged similar voter list manipulation in Maharashtra, including Worli and other constituencies, but “the EC refused to act.”

“This fight is not just for the Congress,” Thackeray said, “it’s for free and fair elections across India — for our Constitution and democracy. Vote chor, gaddi chhod (vote thieves, vacate power).”

Once again, @RahulGandhi has exposed the @ECISVEEP ’s fraud today that helps the bjp to capture States via vote theft.

The world is watching how our elections aren’t free and fair anymore… with proof!

One may agree or disagree with Rahul Gandhi, or the @INCIndia or the INDIA…

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) November 5, 2025

“We are protecting democracy”: Rahul Gandhi

In his closing remarks, Gandhi urged the youth to take ownership of India’s democratic future. “I want Gen Z to take this seriously. Your vote, your future, your democracy — all are being stolen in plain sight,” he said.

He invited journalists and citizens alike to independently verify his findings, saying, “We are not afraid. We are exposing the truth in front of the Supreme Court, before the people, not behind closed doors.”

Calling “vote chori” the theft of rights, employment, education, and the Constitution itself, Gandhi said: “This democracy belongs to you, not to the Election Commission or Narendra Modi. We will fight this with satya and ahimsa.”

Related:

No vote can be deleted online by the public, ECI refutes Rahul Gandhi’s claim but refusal to share data raises doubts

“Vote Chori Factory”: Rahul Gandhi accuses ECI of protecting electoral fraud, demands action in 7 days

Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘Vote Chori’ in 2024 polls, accuses BJP-ECI nexus of systematic electoral fraud

‘Election Commission involved in vote theft’: Rahul Gandhi repeats charge, now drops ‘atom bomb’ ahead of Bihar poll, also says ‘won’t spare you’

The post Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘industrial-scale vote theft’ in Haryana Polls, claims 25 lakh fake voters added with EC-BJP collusion appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Tuljapur: the silent surge of 6,000 bogus voters

Following a formal complaint by office bearers of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Member of Parliament, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO), Arvind Bolange, conducted a preliminary inquiry. The findings were startling as more than 6,000 online applications for the addition of new voters were found to be bogus.

These applications were supported by a raft of forged documents, including counterfeit Aadhaar cards, fabricated photographs, and false names and addresses.

Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar’s Letter to ECI dated 21.08.2025

Recognising the gravity of the offense, the AERO promptly filed a First Information Report (FIR No. 476/2024) at the Tuljapur Police Station on October 17, 2024. Significantly, the FIR was not a blind complaint against unknown persons. It contained specific, actionable intelligence, including the names and mobile numbers of 40 individuals who had submitted batches of these fraudulent online applications. With such direct leads, a swift investigation to apprehend the perpetrators was expected.

However, ten months have elapsed since the FIR was registered, and the investigation has gone nowhere. The 40 named individuals have not been summoned for questioning, let alone arrested. The trail, which was warm at the time of filing the complaint, has been allowed to go cold. This conspicuous inaction by the police, which falls under the purview of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister and Home Minister, has led to accusations of deliberate obstruction.

Shri Nimbalkar has been vocal about the institutional paralysis. “Due to political pressure, no action has been taken against any accused,” he stated, highlighting a deliberate effort to shield the culprits. He has since escalated the matter, submitting a memorandum to both the Chief Election Commissioner of India and the State Election Commissioner. In his communication, he reveals the “deliberate delay” and demanded accountability from the EC.

Fraud by the Election Commission of India: Over 6,000 Fake Voter Registration Applications

Even after 10 months since the FIR was filed, neither investigation has progressed nor have the accused been traced.

In Dharashiv district of Maharashtra, at Tuljapur Police Station,… pic.twitter.com/79ruLPgYWG

— Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (@OmRajenimbalkr) August 21, 2025

Mere MITRON,

Three Cases from Maharashtra and Karnataka that show the apparent NEXUS between BJP + ECI to BLOCK THE POLICE INVESTIGATIONS.

1. ALAND AC, Karnataka.

Based on Congress candidate from Aland AC, Shri. B.R. Patil’s complaint, the ERO filed an FIR in 2023… pic.twitter.com/lYayJf9zhU

— Raju Parulekar (@rajuparulekar) September 21, 2025

Panvel and Uran: a phantom electorate of 85,000

While Tuljapur witnessed the fraudulent addition of voters, the coastal constituencies of Panvel and Uran in Raigad district presented a different, yet equally disturbing, form of electoral manipulation as the mass duplication of existing voters. The issue was brought to light not by election officials, but through the painstaking efforts of a political candidate, Shri Balaram Patil of the Peasants and Workers’ Party (PWP).

An investigation reveals large duplication

In the lead-up to the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election, buoyed by the opposition MVA’s strong performance in the preceding Lok Sabha polls, Patil’s team began investigating rumors of irregularities in the electoral rolls. Their analysis revealed a total of 85,211 duplicate voter entries spread across Panvel and its neighbouring constituencies. The breakdown was concerning as;

• Panvel AC: 25,855 names were found listed twice, thrice, or even four times.
• Uran AC: 27,275 voters were registered more than once.
• Airoli AC: 16,096 duplicate names were identified.
• Belapur AC: 15,397 voters were also present on the Panvel roll.

Armed with this mountain of evidence, Patil approached the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Panvel, who also served as the Returning Officer (RO) for the election, requesting the immediate deletion of these duplicate entries. For nearly 15 days, his request was met with silence.

Frustrated by the SDO’s inaction, Patil filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court on September 26, 2024. The court recognised the seriousness of the complaint and, in a swift directive, ordered on October 7, 2024 the SDO to take an “appropriate decision” within two weeks.

The order of Bombay High Court 07.10.2024 can be read here

Accountability blurred by the procedural pretext

As the High Court’s deadline approached, a convenient precedent emerged from another part of the state. In the Muktainagar constituency, a Shiv Sena MLA, Chandrakant Patil, had approached the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court with a similar plea to clean up the rolls.

However, his petition was filed after the Assembly election schedule had been announced. On October 18, 2024, the court rejected his plea, reasoning that, “Since the elections have been declared now, it will not be possible… that the Election Commission would be in a position to correct the electoral roll”, as the Frontline Reported

According to the Frontline, the Panvel SDO seized upon this ruling. On October 23, 2024, citing the Muktainagar order as a justification, the SDO rejected Balaram Patil’s plea as well, despite the fact that Patil had approached the authorities and the court well before the election schedule was announced. The compromised electoral rolls, bloated with over 85,000 duplicate entries, were left unchanged.

The election took place on November 20, and when the results were declared on November 23, the BJP’s Prashant Thakur was declared the winner with 1, 83,931 votes, defeating Patil by a margin of 51,091 votes. Refusing to accept a result he believed was tainted, Patil embarked on a second, more intensive investigation.

Exposing the fraud, one booth at a time

According to the Frontline, Patil’s first move was to request the official marked electoral rolls—the lists used by polling officers to tick off voters as they cast their ballots—from the SDOs of Panvel, Uran, Airoli, and Belapur. His requests were stonewalled as the Panvel SDO claimed the data could not be shared without a court order. Undeterred, Patil turned to his own network of Booth Level Assistants (BLAs), who had kept their own marked copies of the voter lists from polling day.

His team began the laborious task of digitising and cross-referencing the data from Panvel’s 574 booths. As of their latest update, they had analysed the data from 490 booths and found definitive proof of 11,628 votes that had been cast two or more times by the same individuals using different Voter ID (EPIC) cards.

The examples are brazen:

• Pradeep Poraji, aged 23, with EPIC ID RSC6522387, voted at Booth No. 4. The same Pradeep Poraji, with the same photograph and father’s name (Ramu Poraji), but listed as 22 years old with EPIC ID RSC5081641, also voted at Booth No. 310.
• Prachi Dongare, aged 18, was registered at Booth No. 1 with EPIC ID RSC6376198. The exact same person, with identical details, was also registered at Booth No. 2 with EPIC ID RSC6381800.
• Neha Vivek Kulkarni, aged 27, was registered at Booth No. 4 with EPIC ID UZZ9331422. She was also registered at Booth No. 2 as a 28-year-old with EPIC ID RSC6678189.

Patil projects that once the analysis of the remaining booths is complete, the number of such multiply-cast votes will cross 17,000. This is not a clerical error; it is evidence of systemic fraud.

Having compiled this damning evidence, Patil approached the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra and the Chief Election Commissioner of India in June, mailing them the complete details. He has yet to receive a response. His faith in the institution has eroded completely. “Frankly speaking, I do not have any hope from the ECI,” he stated. “Because my allegation is that this malpractice is being done by the BJP with the active help of the Election Commission… This is daylight robbery of the election”, as reported

The situation is further compounded by the SDO’s blatant disregard for the Bombay High Court’s directive. This failure to act constitutes contempt of court, and Patil is now planning to file a formal complaint. The Panvel-Uran case exposes a multi-layered failure, from the initial refusal of the RO to clean the rolls to the subsequent failure of the ECI to investigate concrete proof of multiple voting, all while a High Court order was brazenly ignored.

The Aland case: a blueprint of obstruction

The events in Maharashtra do not exist in a vacuum. They mirror a similar, well-documented case in the Aland constituency of Karnataka, which serves as a blueprint for how such electoral fraud is executed and subsequently protected from investigation.

A stalled probe and allegations of protection

In February 2023, following a complaint by Congress candidate Shri B.R. Patil, an FIR (No. 26/2023) was filed in Aland after the discovery of 5,994 fraudulent online applications (Form 7) for the deletion of voters. The case was handed over to the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which quickly found evidence of a sophisticated operation involving automated software, fake logins, and mobile numbers from outside the state to target and delete voters perceived to be Congress supporters.

The investigation, however, hit a wall erected by the Election Commission of India. To trace the perpetrators, the CID required crucial technical data: the Destination IP address and Destination Port for the online submissions. This information would pinpoint the specific devices used for the fraud. Despite sending at least 18 letters to the ECI through the Karnataka CEO, the CID has not received this critical data. The ECI’s refusal to provide “last mile information” has effectively stalled the probe for over a year, preventing the CID from identifying the masterminds.

The evidence was presented by Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a special press conference called “Vote Chori Factory,” held on September 18, 2025. In the case pointed to a highly organised effort, characterised by:

• Identity Hijacking: The credentials of unsuspecting voters, like retired principal Suryakant Govin, were used to file mass deletion requests without their knowledge.
• Automated Speed: Applications were filed at a “humanly impossible” speed, such as two forms in 36 seconds, indicating the use of a software program.
• Targeted Deletions: The booths with the highest number of deletion requests were overwhelmingly Congress strongholds.

The Aland case establishes a troubling precedent. It demonstrates a clear pattern where, despite the initiation of a criminal investigation into a large-scale electoral offense, the probe is effectively paralysed by the ECI’s non-cooperation, leading to accusations that the commission is protecting the perpetrators.

The crisis of democratic integrity

Viewed together, the cases of Tuljapur, Panvel, Uran, and Aland paint a deeply concerning picture of the health of India’s electoral democracy. These are not isolated clerical errors but point to what appears to be a “systematic and sophisticated attempt… to manipulate the voting and fraudulently obtain the mandate.” The common threads are undeniable as the use of technology to execute large-scale fraud, the inaction and evasion of local election officials and police, and a consistent pattern of stonewalling from the highest levels of the Election Commission of India.

The refusal to investigate 40 named suspects in Tuljapur, the defiance of a High Court order in Panvel, and the withholding of crucial technical data from the CID in Aland collectively suggest a systemic breakdown of accountability. It raises an uncomfortable but essential question: Is this systematic manipulation the reason why pressing national issues—from economic distress and unemployment to national security challenges—seem to have a diminishing impact on the electoral mandates of the ruling establishment?

When the very foundation of the democratic process—a clean and fair electoral roll—is compromised, the will of the people becomes dangerously malleable, and the entire edifice of representative government is threatened.

Related:

“Vote Chori Factory”: Rahul Gandhi accuses ECI of protecting electoral fraud, demands action in 7 days

No vote can be deleted online by the public, ECI refutes Rahul Gandhi’s claim but refusal to share data raises doubts

Bihar SIR: 65 Lakh electors flagged for deletion, SC said “if there is mass exclusion, we will immediately step in”

The post Systemic flaws or deliberate sabotage? A probe into mass voter roll manipulation stall across Maharashtra & Karnataka appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“No vote can be deleted online” — ECI clarifies

In its official statement, the Election Commission emphasised that no vote can be deleted online by any member of the public, countering what it termed a “misconception” propagated by Rahul Gandhi. The ECI said that while applications for deletion of votes—through Form 7—can be submitted online via designated platforms, the actual deletion process is subject to rigorous manual verification by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

The ECI further stated that applications can be made online, but no direct action, including deletion, is carried out automatically or digitally without human oversight. It also confirmed that in the Aland case, the forged Form 7s were identified and rejected, ensuring that no voter was wrongfully deleted as a result of these submissions.

ECI: “votes were saved, not deleted”

The ECI asserted that 5,994 forged Form 7 applications were identified and rejected in the Aland constituency, thus preventing any deletion of actual votes. It pointed out that in the 2023 elections, B.R. Patil of the Congress party won the Aland Assembly seat, suggesting that the fraudulent attempts did not impact the electoral outcome.

However, the ECI also emphasised that the fact these attempts were thwarted does not negate the seriousness of the crime. It reiterated that criminal efforts to manipulate electoral rolls—even if unsuccessful—must be thoroughly investigated.

CEO Karnataka’s response: verification was prompt and comprehensive

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka, also provided its version of events, highlighting the timeline and the scope of action taken. According to the CEO:

• 6,018 applications in Form 7 were received online through official ECI platforms (NVSP, VHA, GARUDA) in December 2022.
• Owing to the unusually high number of applications for deletions in a single constituency, ERO/ AERO/ BLOs conducted a verification process to determine the authenticity of each submission.

The CEO’s statement suggested that this verification was carried out proactively, but the context reveals that the process only began after complaints were raised by B.R. Patil and Priyank Kharge in February 2023.

ECI’s role in initiating investigation under doubts

While the CEO Karnataka’s communication may give the impression that the Election Commission initiated the inquiry independently, the FIR filed by Returning Officer Mamata Kumari paints a different picture. The FIR explicitly mentions that action began only after a formal complaint by former MLA B.R. Patil, indicating that the investigation was reactive rather than proactive.

The FIR quotes Mamata Kumari stating:

“Former MLA B.R. Patil, complained to the ECI that in 256 booths of Aland assembly constituency, 6670 votes were illegally deleted, based on which ECI directed and oral orders issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Kalaburagi district, that I should examine the complaint.”

This raises critical questions about whether the ECI acted swiftly on its own or was compelled to respond after political and public pressure.

What the ECI shared with investigators: a partial picture

According to the CEO Karnataka’s statement, on September 6, 2023, the ECI shared “all available information” with the Superintendent of Police, Kalaburagi District, including:

• Form reference numbers
• Name and EPIC numbers of objectors
• Mobile numbers used to create login IDs
• IP addresses and software application medium
• Date/time of submission
• User creation details

The ECI maintains that this data was sufficient for investigators to proceed with the probe into the forged applications. However, the CID strongly disagrees.

CID’s persistent requests for critical data ignored

While the ECI claims that it provided all relevant data in September 2023, the Karnataka CID has documented 18 subsequent requests from January 2024 onwards, seeking two crucial technical details:

• Destination IP
• Destination Port

These two data points are essential for investigators to trace the actual device and server to which the fraudulent applications were submitted. While dynamic IP addresses can be shared across hundreds of users, the Destination IP and Port help pinpoint the actual endpoint, narrowing the list of suspects significantly.

Despite these repeated and specific requests, the ECI has not responded to any of the CID’s 18 letters, according to Rahul Gandhi and official correspondence accessed.

Contradiction in ECI’s claim of cooperation

The Election Commission and CEO Karnataka maintain that they have been “providing any other assistance/information/documents” requested by investigators. However, the absence of a response to the 18 letters stands in direct contradiction to this claim.

The CID’s February 1, 2025 letter states that “During the course of investigation, the IP Logs are provided. On perusal the Destination IP and Destination Port are missing. Therefore, it is requested to direct the concerned to provide the same.”

This letter references an earlier communication from January 15, 2025, suggesting an escalating pattern of ignored requests.

Dynamic IPs shared by ECI “not useful” for investigation

The Election Commission shared dynamic IPv4 addresses, which are used temporarily by internet users and can be assigned to hundreds of individuals. According to investigators, each IP address provided was linked to over 200 users, making geolocation and identification of culprits virtually impossible. The lack of destination-specific data significantly hampers the CID’s ability to filter through the more than 8 lakh devices potentially involved.

CEO Karnataka’s “half-truth”: no mention of CID letters

The ECI and CEO Karnataka’s assertion that all required information has been shared is being challenged. While data may have been shared in September 2023, none of the subsequent requests made between January 2024 and September 2025 are acknowledged in public statements or responses.

This omission has prompted criticism that the CEO is presenting a partial truth, selectively omitting details that highlight the Commission’s inaction on follow-up queries that could aid the criminal investigation.

The ECI and CEO Karnataka’s response dated 18.09.2025 can be read here

Related

“Vote Chori Factory”: Rahul Gandhi accuses ECI of protecting electoral fraud, demands action in 7 days

Bihar SIR: 65 Lakh electors flagged for deletion, SC said “if there is mass exclusion, we will immediately step in”

Bihar: Sinister move by ECI as ‘intensive’ revision of electoral roles set to exclude vast majority of legitimate voters

The post No vote can be deleted online by the public, ECI refutes Rahul Gandhi’s claim but refusal to share data raises doubts appeared first on SabrangIndia.

He highlights the alleged vote theft incident in the Aland constituency of Karnataka. He said that in the Aland constituency of Karnataka, 6,018 votes were found to have been deleted. Gandhi stated that person was caught by co-incidence. A booth-level officer noticed that her own uncle’s vote had been deleted

He continued to explain that when the BLO checked who deleted the vote, it appeared to be a neighbour. However, it was not the neighbour. The person whose vote was deleted and the person whose name was used to delete it were both unaware of the act. The real culprit, he alleged, was a different force that had “hijacked the process” and “used the software that deleted the voters.” This was not a human crime, but a crime of a system, a “centralised criminal operation to steal elections.”

LIVE: Special Press Conference – Vote Chori Factory https://t.co/ne8cdFCnMs

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 18, 2025

Modus Operandi: fake logins and hijacked identities

The modus operandi of the perpetrators was cunning. Rahul Gandhi presented evidence during the Press Conference that a 63-year-old woman named Godabai had a fake login created in her name and was used to delete 12 voters from Aland, Karnataka. When Gandhi’s team investigated, she claimed that she didn’t file any application to delete any votes.

Evidence of alleged voter fraud in Aland constituency, Karnataka

In support of his allegations on the Aland constituency, Rahul Gandhi presented five key pieces of evidence to show how the alleged fraud occurred:

1. Fake logins and impersonation: Fake logins were allegedly created in the name of a 63-year-old woman named Godabai to delete 12 voters. Rahul Gandhi’s team found that Godabai had not filed any such applications. The fraud was further evidenced by the use of mobile numbers from different states to delete 12 neighbours.
2. Identity hijacked for mass deletions: The identity of Suryakant Govin, a 67-year-old retired college principal, was allegedly hijacked. His credentials were used to file nine applications to delete voters, a fact he was unaware of. These applications were used to delete 12 voters in just 14 minutes.
3. Humanly impossible application speed: The press conference showed evidence of two applications being filed and submitted within just 36 seconds, which was described as “humanly impossible.” This points to the use of an automated program rather than individual human action.
4. Automated program targets: It was alleged that the perpetrators used an automated program that ensured the first voter of a booth was always the applicant. This pattern of using the credentials of the first or second voter on a local list to file deletion requests for others was presented as a clear sign of a sophisticated, automated operation.
5. Targeted deletions in strongholds: The deletions were not random. The evidence presented alleged that they were a “planned operation” with “targeted deletions in strong congress booths.” It was noted that the top 10 booths with the maximum number of deletions were Congress strongholds, where the party had won 8 out of 10 booths in the 2018 elections.

Based on this evidence, Rahul Gandhi asserted, “there is undeniable proof that CEC Gyanesh Kumar is protecting vote theft.”

The Original PPT on The Aland Files, presented by Rahul Gandhi can be read here

CID’s stalled investigation and unanswered letters

Rahul Gandhi revealed that, the investigation by the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the alleged fraud has been stalled. The timeline presented reveals a pattern of persistent requests from the CID to the Election commission of India (ECI) that have allegedly gone unanswered.

• February 2023: an FIR was filed following the discovery of the fraudulent applications.
• March 2023: the Karnataka CID wrote to the ECI, requesting all details related to the applications to further their investigation.
• August 2023: the ECI provided only partial portal information, which included dynamic IP addresses that were linked to over 200 users each, leaving the CID with an impossible task.
• January 2024 to present: the Karnataka EC has been repeatedly requesting full information from the ECI, including the crucial destination IP and destination port details needed to identify the culprits. Rahul Gandhi stated that the Karnataka CID has sent a total of 18 letters to the election commission, but the ECI has not replied, effectively stalling the investigation.

The Vote Chori Factory: a multi-state scam

In addition to the Aland case, Rahul Gandhi referred to a similar scam in Maharashtra’s Rajura assembly, calling it the “same scam in Rajura assembly.” He noted that while the Aland case focused on “deletions,” the Rajura scam involved “additions.” The press conference highlighted “6850 fake online additions” in Rajura using “fake names, fake addresses.” This was presented as evidence that the “same vote chori factory” was operating across different states with different tactics.

Election Commission of India must stop protecting Vote Chors.

They should release all incriminating evidence to Karnataka CID within 1 week. #VoteChoriFactory pic.twitter.com/Abiy1OHLQP

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 18, 2025

Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against the Election Commission

Addressing the media, Rahul Gandhi briefed the story from Aland. He alleged that “the one who’s deleting votes, the one whose vote is being deleted, both don’t know about it.”

He asserted that the use of mobile numbers from outside states and the lack of response from the ECI proved a coordinated effort.

He further alleged that “CEC Gyanesh Kumar is protecting Vote-Chors (theft)” and that “The Chief Election Commissioner of India is protecting those who have destroyed Indian democracy.”

He ended his press conference with a final plea, suggesting that “people from within ECI (officials) are now coming forward with inside information.” This was not just a demand for information; it was a challenge to the integrity of an institution that is the bedrock of India’s democracy.

CID probe and challenges in investigation

The case was handed over to Karnataka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which soon uncovered a meticulously planned operation. The thousands of forged Form 7s were submitted online through the ECI’s official platforms: the National Voter Service Portal (NVSP), the Voter Helpline app (VHA), and the Garuda app.

The ECI initially shared a data dump with the CID in September 2023. This included the mobile numbers used to create login IDs on the apps and the Internet Protocol (IP) logs associated with the submissions. But this data only deepened the mystery. Investigators tracked down nine of the mobile numbers. They belonged to people in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, many of whom were digitally illiterate and swore they had never created accounts on any ECI app.

The IP logs presented an even bigger challenge. The culprits had used dynamic IP addresses, which are temporary and assigned to multiple users by internet service providers. The data provided by Telecom Service Providers pointed to IPV4 addresses, with each address linked to over 200 users. This left the CID facing an impossible task, sifting through over 8 lakh potential devices.

Investigation stalled due to concealment of critical data

To cut through this digital fog, the CID identified the need for two specific data points: the Destination IP and the Destination Port. Unlike a dynamic source IP, these details provide a unique digital address for the server that received the application and the specific endpoint of the communication. This information would allow investigators to drastically narrow their search and pinpoint the actual devices used to perpetrate the fraud. This is where the investigation stalled.

CID’s repeated requests ignored by Election Commission

A cache of official letters, six from the CID to the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), laid bare the investigators’ mounting frustration. Rahul Gandhi stated that the “Karnataka CID sent 18 letters to the Election Commission,” and the “Election Commission did not reply to the CID’s letter.”

The documents revealed a paper trail of urgent and unanswered requests. In a letter dated February 1, 2025, the CID Investigating Officer states plainly, “During the course of investigation, the IP Logs are provided. On perusal the Destination IP and Destination Port are missing. Therefore, it is requested to direct the concerned to provide the same.” This wasn’t a one-off request. The letter referenced a previous communication from January 15, 2025.

CID letter dated 01.02.205 can be read here

Further letters were sent on February 15 and February 25, each one repeating the exact same plea for the missing data.

CID’s letter to CEO, Karnataka on 15.02.2025 can be read here

CID’s letter to CEO, Karnataka on 25.02.2025 can be read here

The letters also reveal deeper concerns about the security of the ECI’s own applications, with the CID posing pointed questions about the existence and implementation of OTP/Multifactor authentication on its platforms—questions that have allegedly gone unanswered.

Confidential records further show that the Karnataka CEO’s office has been diligently forwarding these urgent requests to the ECI headquarters in New Delhi. Communications on this matter were sent on February 4, 2025.

Karnataka CEO’s letter dated 04.02.2025 can be read here

Again, on March 14, 2025, explicitly asking the ECI’s ICT division to provide the information sought by the CID. Yet, the data remains elusive, and the investigation remains frozen.

CEO, Karnataka’s letter to ECI dated 14.03.2025

Background: discovery of the conspiracy

The alleged conspiracy first came to light in the politically charged weeks of February 2023. B.R. Patil, a senior Congress leader, received a disturbing tip. A local Booth Level Officer (BLO) discovered a startling online application to delete a voter’s name, a Form 7, had been filed to remove her own brother from the electoral rolls.

He was a known supporter of Patil’s, and he had made no such application. “The application was made in the name of another voter in the same village, who was also not aware of it. This tipped us off,” said Patil, who had narrowly lost the 2018 election by just 697 votes.
What started as a single fraudulent form quickly snowballed into a deluge. An on-ground verification ordered by the Aland Returning Officer, Mamata Devi, scrutinised 6,018 Form 7 applications. The findings were staggering as only 24 were genuine.

The remaining 5,994 applications were forgeries, a systematic attempt to wipe legitimate voters off the list. An FIR was filed, and an investigation was launched to find the masterminds behind this digital conspiracy. The evidence pointed to a sophisticated operation using “automated filing of online EC forms, Mobile numbers from outside Karnataka, and Targeting Congress votes.”

Notably, the forged applications to delete the names of both Barabayi and Ali were filed in the name of Suryakant Govin, a 67-year-old retired college principal. Govin was shocked to learn his identity had been hijacked. “There were nine applications made in my name to delete voters… I don’t know how the miscreants did it,” he explained. “While my other credentials, including EPIC number and photo are correct, phone numbers are different in each application. None of them belong to me,” The Hindu reported on September 7, 2025.

This pattern repeated itself across the constituency. The credentials of the first or second voter on a local list were frequently misused to file deletion requests for others. Entire families were targeted, as was the case with Veeranna Honashetty, a retired policeman, who discovered applications to delete eight votes in his household, including that of his wife, Revamma. The targets, Patil alleges, were overwhelmingly his supporters, as reported

In light of these allegations and the stalled investigation, Rahul Gandhi laid down a clear demand that “Gyanesh Kumar should stop protecting vote chors.” He demanded that the ECI must release all incriminating evidence related to the Aland, Rajura, and Mahadevapura cases to the Karnataka CID within one week.

Related

Bihar SIR: 65 Lakh electors flagged for deletion, SC said “if there is mass exclusion, we will immediately step in”

Bihar 2025 Election: EC drops parental birth document requirement for 4.96 crore electors and their children in Bihar

Bihar: Sinister move by ECI as ‘intensive’ revision of electoral roles set to exclude vast majority of legitimate voters

The post “Vote Chori Factory”: Rahul Gandhi accuses ECI of protecting electoral fraud, demands action in 7 days appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“An Election Commission bent on striking off names is bound to disenfranchise large sections of undocumented and vulnerable citizens,” he said, adding that this undermines trust in the fairness of elections.

Pointing out that the credibility of the Commission has historically been the backbone of India’s democratic resilience, he criticised the current system of appointing Election Commissioners, where the government retains decisive control, despite the Supreme Court recommending the inclusion of the Chief Justice of India in the process. “If the Commission is seen as partisan, the public will view elections as a fixed match,” Mr. Hegde warned.

The lecture traced the historical background to Citizenship and why the election commission’s doings first in Assam (over the exclusions in the National Register of Citizens –NRC and now the SIR) in Bihar are now spreading a fear and panic. The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process since June 2025 has faced criticism politically and even in the Courts, where judicial orders have had to be resorted to, to ensure a measure of accountability and inclusion.

Journalist Dinesh Amin Mattu described the current controversies surrounding electoral processes as “symptoms” of a deeper malaise within India’s election system. Speaking on electoral accountability, he noted that while debates once centred on EVMs and now on voter rolls, the underlying problem was the lack of structural reform. “The real issue is not just in Bihar or elsewhere; it is the larger disease that has crept into the system,” Mr. Mattu said.

In the panel discussion that followed, activists and civil society representatives voiced concerns over large-scale exclusions from electoral rolls in Bihar and the continuing uncertainty around the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. Participants flagged the notification of a “special intensive revision” of voter lists in Bihar as deeply flawed, noting that it seeks to weed out “illegal immigrants” — a mandate that goes beyond the Election Commission’s role. Concerns were also raised about privileging certain groups such as bureaucrats and sportspersons while subjecting ordinary citizens, especially minorities, women, and migrant workers, to scrutiny. Teesta Setalvad, co-convenor of Vote for Democracy (VFD) led the panel discussion with participation from Tara Rao from Edelu Karnataka.

A lively discussion on what lay in store for Indian democracy followed. Opposition parties from Bihar like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Indian National Congress (INC) have over the past two and a half weeks been conducting a ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar. Meanwhile independent journalists and Digital Platforms, including You Tubers have been reporting on the ground on gross anomalies and errors in the manner in which the SIR that has –initially excluded a staggering 65 lakh persons—been conducted. The Supreme Court is currently still hearing the matter. On claims of ‘weeding out 3 lakh illegal immigrants’ and those who are ‘dead’ or ‘permanently shifted’, or have ‘duplicate voter cards’ in fact, marginalised communities –Dalits, Muslims and women from across the spectrum face the serious threat of being denied their constitutional right to Universal Adult Franchise under Article 326 of the Constitution.

Journalist Gauri Lankesh’s immediate family, Kavitha Lankesh and her neice Esha Lankesh were present on the occasion.

Related:

From Whispers to Shouts: How India’s voter roll irregularities are finally being heard

Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘Vote Chori’ in 2024 polls, accuses BJP-ECI nexus of systematic electoral fraud

Election Commission of India says voters’ names not to be removed without prior notice

The post Election Commission seriously risks losing all credibility: senior advocate Sanjay Hegde appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Yet, these early alarms were brushed aside as clerical oversights or minor glitches. The Commission maintained that tampering with rolls was “nearly impossible” (The Hindu).

That narrative has now cracked. Opposition parties, led by the Congress, are openly accusing the ECI of enabling “vote theft.” They argue that the manipulation of voter lists has become systematic — powerful enough to swing outcomes in closely contested seats. What was once niche activism has burst into the political mainstream, forcing India to confront an uncomfortable question: can the world’s largest democracy trust its own voter lists?

The Flashpoints: Where irregularities have surfaced

1. Madhya Pradesh: Sudden surge before the 2023 Assembly Polls

• Congress leader Umang Singhar alleged that between August and October 2023, 16.05 lakh voters were added — averaging 26,000 new voters per day (The Hindu; Indian Express).
• By contrast, only 4.64 lakh voters were added in the first seven months of 2023.
• In 27 Assembly seats, the number of new voters exceeded the victory margin.
• The BJP went on to win 163 seats, while Congress fell to 66 — leading to charges that inflated rolls helped tilt the balance.
• The State Election Commission has so far declined to respond (Indian Express).

2. Bihar: 65 lakh deletions and the SIR controversy

• In 2025, the ECI ordered a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar — a legally dubious exercise.
• The result: 65 lakh voters deleted from the rolls, sparking protests and litigation (Indian Express).
• Analysis showed that in 24 Assembly seats, the number of deletions exceeded the margin of victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls (The Quint).
• Opposition leaders allege a two-step strategy: fake voters were inserted earlier and then deleted in bulk, presenting the deletions as a clean-up (Scroll).
• The Supreme Court stepped in, directing the ECI to publish the names and reasons for deletions (The Hindu).

3. Maharashtra: Duplicate EPIC Numbers and Suppressed Voter Growth

• In August 2025, CHRI uncovered that a woman in Nalasopara, Palghar district, appeared six times on the rolls, each time with a different and supposedly unique EPIC number (Sabrangindia). This followed an initial investigation by Altnews. As revealing as the multiple presence of the woman on the voter’s rolls was the fact that the District Election Officer (DEO), Govind Bobde, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), Shekhar Ghadge and the Booth Level Officer (BLO), Ms. Pallavi Sawant are named against all these entries in all locations!
• Five entries were still active on the list just weeks before polling.
• The Maharashtra CEO admitted the discrepancy and called for deletions — but the fact it persisted until the eve of elections revealed serious administrative lapses.
• Separately, former Maharashtra minister Yashomati Thakur highlighted massive discrepancies in her Teosa constituency. She showed that:
  • Voter rolls grew steadily between 2009 and 2019, adding roughly 5,000 voters per year.
  • But in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, instead of reaching around 3.2 lakh voters, the rolls dropped to 2.84 lakh — a net shortfall of 36,000 voters once natural growth is included.
  • Just six months later, during the Assembly polls, the number jumped again by 12,252 voters, raising suspicions of manipulation.
• Thakur alleged that about 25,000 Congress-leaning voters were deliberately removed from Teosa, while BJP-leaning voters were selectively retained or added. She said scrutiny of Excel-format rolls revealed 14,000 bogus votes.
• In neighbouring Amravati Lok Sabha constituency, she noted that while voter rolls increased by over 2 lakhs between 2009 and 2019, they grew by barely 5,677 voters between 2019 and 2024 — implying that up to two lakh voters had been excluded.
• Thakur claimed that if these votes had not been suppressed, Congress candidate Balwant Wankhade’s victory margin of 20,000 in Amravati would have swelled to over one lakh. She vowed to take the matter to court if the ECI fails to explain the anomalies (Lokmat).

4. Karnataka: The Mahadevapura Case

• Rahul Gandhi revealed that in Mahadevapura (Bengaluru Central), 80 voters were registered at a single address, with fictitious details like “XYZ” listed as the father’s name (The Hindu).
• Gandhi said these were uncovered only after his team spent six months poring over ECI data.
• Instead of clarifying, the Chief Election Commissioner challenged him to file a sworn affidavit or apologise to the nation (Indian Express).

5. West Bengal: A faulty foundation for the next SIR

• In 2025, West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer admitted that parts of the 2002 SIR voter list were missing or flawed — including entire constituencies with no data and thousands of booths with incorrect names (Indian Express).
• Despite this, the EC intended to use the 2002 rolls as a reference point for the upcoming revision, sparking fears of a repeat of the Bihar crisis.
• Opposition leaders slammed the process as “Scientific Invisible Rigging” (TMC) and “partisan engineering” (CPI-M).

6. Ground Reality: Bihar’s Pranpatti village

• In Pranpatti, Purnia district, villagers found that Muslim names had been inserted into the voter list — despite no Muslim families living there.
• During the SIR, these names were deleted; one polling booth saw over 45% of its voters struck off (Scroll).
• Locals now question how many elections may have been influenced before these “ghost voters” were removed.

Why these irregularities matter

• Margins vs. manipulation: Deletions and additions often exceed recent victory margins — enough to change results (The Quint).
• Transparency gap: The ECI releases rolls mostly as PDF images, making independent verification nearly impossible. Civil society has demanded machine-readable formats (The Hindu).
• Legal grey zones:
  • Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 allows punishment for dereliction of duty — but only if the ECI itself files a complaint (Mid-Day).
  • Despite anomalies, there is little evidence of action against erring officials.
• Institutional credibility: The ECI’s confrontational stance, especially in demanding affidavits from political leaders, has raised concerns about neutrality (The Hindu).

The Turning Point: From citizens to political parties

For years, these issues were flagged by civil society — CHRI, journalists, and RTI activists like Venkatesh Nayak. Their findings were often ignored or dismissed as “clerical errors” (Mid-Day).

The shift came when:

• Umang Singhar in MP, Yashomati Thakur in Maharashtra, MP Rahul Gandhi and others nationally accused the ECI of enabling “vote theft” (The Hindu).
• According to ANI, Amit Chavda, Gujarat Congress president, took a press conference and claimed that their research provided that around 12.5% of the total voters, nearly 6.2 million, in Gujarat are fake.
• Massive numbers — 16 lakh additions in MP, 65 lakh deletions in Bihar — made it impossible to dismiss as routine revisions.
• The Supreme Court’s interim order in Bihar validated long-standing citizen concerns (The Hindu).
• The combination of citizen warnings and political amplification has forced India to face the reality that its electoral rolls — once assumed sacrosanct — may themselves be compromised.

The road ahead

• Data transparency: Rolls must be published in machine-readable formats (CSV) with audit trails.
• Accountability: Booth Level and Electoral Registration Officers must face legal consequences for lapses under the RPA, 1950 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
• Independent oversight: Parliamentary or judicial scrutiny of large-scale revisions like the SIR may be necessary to restore credibility.
• De-centralise voter system: ECI to conduct only Parliamentary/Presidential elections; State ECs to conduct Assembly and local polls. They should be strengthened suitably.
• Immediate forensic audit of EVMs, VVPATs, and voter rolls.
• Public release of machine-readable rolls, Form 17A/17C, and CCTV footage.
• Rollback of restrictive Rule 93 amendments; restore transparency safeguards.
• Legislative guarantees for end-to-end vote verifiability.

Conclusion

India prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy. But as recent revelations from above show, the sanctity of elections rests on the integrity of the voter roll. With citizens’ warnings finally amplified by political voices, the time for denial has passed. The choice before the Election Commission is stark: embrace transparency and accountability — or risk presiding over a democracy where the vote itself is distrusted.

Reference articles:

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mp-lop-umang-singhar-says-vote-chori-in-27-assembly-seats-bjp-hits-back-10199596/

https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Aug/20/20-months-after-assembly-polls-defeat-congress-alleges-vote-theft-in-27-seats-in-madhya-pradesh

https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/nearly-30000-deleted-electors-in-bihar-seek-inclusion-election-commission-10221064/

https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/bihar-special-intensive-revision-deleted-voters-exceed-2024-election-victory-margins-in-24-seats

https://scroll.in/article/1086107/we-went-to-a-polling-booth-with-one-of-the-highest-deletions-in-bihar-heres-what-we-found

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bihar-sir-row-sc-directs-eci-to-publish-details-of-65-lakh-deleted-voters-with-reasons-10189079/

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/sc-ordering-ec-to-publish-details-of-65-lakh-deleted-voters-during-on-bihar-sir-is-welcome-10191905/

https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Aug/19/bihar-ceo-asks-voters-to-file-claims-with-aadhaar-after-65-lakh-names-deleted-from-draft-rolls

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/bihar/bihar-ceo-publishes-list-of-deleted-electors-from-first-sir-draft-list-after-sc-order/articleshow/123353766.cms

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/roll-revision-biggest-attack-on-constitution-cpiml/articleshow/123241214.cms

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/bihar/interim-order-a-beacon-of-hope-say-oppn-parties/articleshow/123311967.cms

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/rahul-questions-bjps-silence-on-deletion-of-65l-voters-names/articleshow/123484448.cms

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/bihar-electoral-survey-throws-up-foreigners-with-fake-papers-rjd-rubbishes-findings/articleshow/122421271.cms

https://theprobe.in/elections/growing-voters-list-anomalies-spark-calls-for-eci-accountability-9683020

https://www.facebook.com/LokmatNewsEnglish/videos/curious-case-of-sushma-gupta-from-palghar-6-voter-ids-6-epic-numbers-in-palghar-/1310883603983950/

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/entire-country-will-ask-for-your-affidavit-rahul-gandhi-slams-ec-calls-sir-a-new-form-of-vote-theft/articleshow/123367946.cms

https://sarkarnama.esakal.com/vishesh/biggest-voter-fraud-in-maharashtra-yashomati-thakur-exposes-scam-with-statistic-sw79

Related:

Palghar, Maharashtra: One woman voter in six locations, DEO, ERP and BLO common!!

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Bihar 3 lakh electors served with doubtful citizen notices by Election Commission

Bihar SIR: New elector applications doubled in just 2 days, showing a 96.6% increase

The Stolen Franchise: Why the Election Commission cannot escape accountability

The post From Whispers to Shouts: How India’s voter roll irregularities are finally being heard appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A strong votary of preservation of data integrity and security, Madhav Deshpande has explained here how the entire electronic election cycle is ‘compromised by compromised data.’ He also urged the voters and citizens must not forget the obfuscation introduced by the “percentage” voting  instead of vote counts.

Diagram 1: Explaining Data

In the detailed and creative presentation, Deshpande explained that applying a “manual lock, key, to seal an electronic process” is ineffective as is the misplaced discourse on ‘whether or not the machine can ever go wrong or about “proving” if the “machine” is infallible.’ The focus of electors, citizens groups and the media –as also all political parties who are stake holders – should be about proving data integrity. Now, proving integrity means proving that data has remained unchanged across its entire path. In our voting process, the Voting Data Path is across the Ballot Unit (BU), Counting Unit (CU), the VVPAT and back at the CU. For complete Data Integrity, says Deshpande, it must be electronically proved that the data in BU (button presses) is identical to data in CU (both copies), as data in VVPAT. Therefore, since the protection of secrecy of the Vote is paramount, each successive data element (vote) must not be disclosed. Hence, a progressive checksum or hashsum (like CRC or MD5 or MD6) must be taken in every BU, CU and VVPAT, printed and handed over to candidates at the end of the day, polling day. FORM 17 was for paper ballot, it serves little purpose now. Now, a Checksum/ Hashsum is needed for electronic ballot. Hence, the Checksum must be again generated before counting and tallied with the EoD checksum to prove that the data is unchanged from the end of polling.

Diagram 2: Data Integrity

No paring of electronic devices –How else do we understand that the existing EVS (electronic voting system) is compromised? How do we understand also that the Data Integrity is compromised, which in turn means that every Voter’s Vote, the Secrecy and Integrity of every Ballot is compromised?

Above Deshpande has explained how their must be an electronic safety lock,  the Checksum/hashsum at every stage of the Voting Process, evidence of which must be given to every candidate at close of Voting, Start of Counting.

Now, he explains how more needs to happen. Diagram 3 (below) explains how  to combat the corrosive phenomenon of fake voters, duplicate voters and ghost voters with fake addresses the system needs to use an Aadhaar kind of Biometrics and Address database with an INDEPENDENT PC before letting the voter inside the polling booth premises. Second, the VVPAT unit, CU (Counting Unit) and Ballot Unit (BU) need to be ‘paired’. If the earlier recommended procedure of ‘electronic locking’ (checksum/hashsum) is applied and thereafter, the units are ‘paired’ the system becomes foolproof. Without this happening, between Voting Day and Counting Day,  the CU can be easily swapped: original CU can be replaced by another CU with stuffed votes. Worse, Votes can be “counted” from 2 different memory stores for results and then for verification.

Diagram 3:

Uniqueness is intrinsic to Freedom

In the words of expert Madhav Deshpande himself, “Among the many things that freedom entails, equality and uniqueness are two crucial and important aspects.

When one has a duplicate, one’s uniqueness is lost. Say there is a duplicate voter ID card for me. And let us say there are only 2 parties in India. I vote for BJP, while the other votes for Congress. Now, my vote makes no impact, as both parties get 1 vote in my name. In other words, my democratic value is reduced to 0. I am totally marginalized. In other words, I don’t matter anymore. This is not just scary, it is demeaning to each one of us.

Madhav Deshpande appeals, “Each one of us who values freedom must speak up against this marginalization. This is not about any political party.

If you value freedom, you will be up in arms against this.

Related:

Major Irregularities in 2024 Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha Polls; Vote for Democracy

99.8% of 65 lakh voter deletions go unchallenged on 13th day of objection period

Vote for Democracy: Statistical, legal and procedural irregularities dot Bihar’s controversial SIR process

The post EXCLUSIVE: Solid empirical evidence of tampering in Voter’s List mustn’t let us forget EVM Manipulations: Computer Expert Madhav Deshpande appeared first on SabrangIndia.

To substantiate this, Yadav distributed affidavits to journalists, detailing that the party had submitted 18,000 affidavits after the 2022 assembly elections flagging discrepancies, but “not a single action was taken by the Commission”. The ECI has been on record through the Bihar SIR and the hearing around it at the Supreme Court, claiming “no political parties had brought any complaints, as it seemed to deem the exercise successful and fair.”

Yadav’s revelations bear great relevance given the peevish response of the ECI and CEC Gnanesh Kumar to LOP Rahul Gandhi’s serious allegations on “Vote Chori” made on August 7.

SP submitted 18,000 affidavits on ‘vote theft’ says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that his party has submitted 18,000 affidavits about “vote theft”, but the Election Commission has not taken action so far. “The list keeps getting longer. There has been no response on the wrongdoings we pointed out, nor on the affidavits we submitted,” Yadav alleged.

Also stating that the Election Commission has the “historic responsibility” of safeguarding democracy, the SP chief said that when it takes the “right course”, support of crores of Indians will become its shield.Yadav said that a single “correct and bold step” by the poll panel could secure the future and welfare of countless generations in the country.

“The Election Commission needs not just reforms but a complete transformation. Today, the historic duty of protecting democracy rests on its shoulders. We understand that it faces various unwarranted pressures, but it must not think it stands alone,” Yadav said in a statement.

“When the Election Commission chooses the right course, crores of Indians will stand behind it as its shield. When one walks the path of truth, people and their faith walk along. A single correct and bold step by the commission can ensure the future and well-being of endless generations. Everyone must listen to the voice of their conscience,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

In this post on X (see below), Yadav presented a receipt and said, “The Election Commission, which is saying that it has not received the affidavits submitted by the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, should check the acknowledgement issued by its own office as proof of receipt of our affidavits.”

He further demanded that the ECI authenticate the digital acknowledgement it had issued. “This time we demand that the Election Commission give an affidavit that the digital receipt sent to us is correct, otherwise along with the ‘Election Commission’, ‘Digital India’ will also come under suspicion.”

Concluding his statement, Yadav remarked, “If BJP goes, truth will come!” The statement came hours after the Election Commission gave Rahul Gandhi a seven-day deadline to either submit an affidavit with evidence or issue a public apology over “vote chori” claim.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had said on Sunday, August 17, at a press meet in New Delhi, “An affidavit will have to be given or an apology will have to be made to the country. There is no third option. If the affidavit is not received within 7 days, it means that all these allegations are baseless.”

जो चुनाव आयोग ये कह रहा है कि हमें यूपी में समाजवादी पार्टी द्वारा दिये गये ऐफ़िडेविट नहीं मिले हैं, वो हमारे शपथपत्रों की प्राप्ति के प्रमाण स्वरूप दी गयी अपने कार्यालय की पावती को देख ले। इस बार हम मांग करते हैं कि चुनाव आयोग शपथपत्र दे कि ये जो डिजिटल रसीद हमको भेजी गयी है वो… pic.twitter.com/9A4njvF9Tw

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 17, 2025

Later in the afternoon, doubling down on the “vote chori in Uttar Pradesh (UP), senior Samapajwadi Party leader and secretary general, SP, Ram Gopal Yadav (also an MP in the Rajya Sabha) questioned the ECI for diverting attention from Leader of the Opposition (LOP), Rahul Gandhi’s serious allegations of vote fraud showcasing the Madhevapura assembly segment of Bengaluru central lok sabha constituency by asking for the “allegations on affidavit.”

Addressing a joint press conference called by the INDIA alliance in New Delhi, Gopal said that soon after the 2022 state polls in UP, when Akhilesh Yadav had stated that thousands of votes of voters with allegiance to the SP had been cut from the voter rolls, the poll body had served a “notice” to him. The poll body had demanded proof, he said. At the time 18,000 affidavits (signed and notarised) for which receipts were also obtained. Gopal further stated that there was no action on even one of these complaints given on affidavits by the ECI.

“Jo election commission rozaana Rahul Gandhi ji se affidavit maang raha hai, us ECI ko ham, 2022 main galat tareeke se kaate gaye voter kee affidavit de chuke hai. (The same ECI that is, everyday, demanding “proof” from Rahul Gandhi ji and maligning the Opposition, refuses to investigate or answer specific complaints!) We have receipts for this. No action was taken. Then, when elections took place in 2024 for the Lok Sabha, they (state election commission) removed all Muslims and Yadavs were removed discriminating on basis of caste and community. No inquiry or investigation on these grave allegations was conducted. Similarly when elections were taking place in Mainpuri, we gave in writing, (complaints of) only one community (caste)—the caste of the CM (Thakurs), all election officials –be it SDMs, Cos and SHOs!! We gave this in writing. We all know that on election day, SDM and CO, in their vehicles, with police, they can bully persons—use brute force—to prevent voting. Only presiding officers and polling officers have legal authority over polling but these techniques were brazenly employed (in UP in 2022) to prevent all voters who have allegiences to the Opposition, from voting. So today for the ECI to say that the Opposition speaks without evidence and affidavits is an untruth, falsehood and belied by facts. Then we know in Delhi the violations… In UP from now itself voters are being cut from the rolls, illegal transfers of officers are happening. Check transfer lists, we appeal to the media to save Indian democracy.

“We appeal to the media to highlight these calculated moves,” Gopal added. “ECI ignores all Opposition complaints of these brazen violations. When under Article 326 of the Indian Constitution, it is clearly stated that, any Indian above the age of 18 will be registered as a voter, this kind of brazen disenfranchisement is taking place. If some local official simply rules that X or Y is not a voter and strikes him/her off, this means that an irregular NRC process is being implemented! Imagine the implications: if X or Y is told he/she is not a voter it means he has been declared a non-citizen. This is very, very serious what is going on. The motives of the government, the motives of the ECI are very suspect and their actions have a serious implication for the interpretation of the right to adult franchise, Article 326. This must be communicated to the people by the media, people need to be awakened, made aware. The media must not only speak the language of the ruling party/government but must reflect the interventions and views of the Opposition that are presently rebuilding India.”

The press conference called by the INDIA opposition may be viewed here

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Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘Vote Chori’ in 2024 polls, accuses BJP-ECI nexus of systematic electoral fraud

The post Thousands of discrepancies in UP Voters Lists of 2022, widespread fraud alleges Akhilesh Yadav, former UP chief minister appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Gandhi, in a detailed press conference held at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, described the alleged irregularities as a systemic subversion of Indian democracy, claiming “massive-scale electoral fraud” or vote chori (vote theft) had taken place. He called this an “institutional crime against the Constitution.”

Key allegations and claims

The ‘Atom Bomb’ evidence

• Gandhi declared that the Congress has unearthed hard evidence of voter list manipulation after a six-month internal investigation.
• He asserted that 1 lakh fraudulent votes were cast in the Mahadevapura assembly segment of the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency of Karnataka alone.

Maharashtra Election: An alarming spike

• Congress began suspecting vote rigging after the 2023 Chhattisgarh elections, but their fears were confirmed in Maharashtra (2024).
• Over one crore new voters were added to Maharashtra’s electoral rolls in just five months—more than the total added in the preceding five years.
• Gandhi highlighted a suspicious surge in voter turnout after 5:30 PM, and the ECI’s refusal to release CCTV footage from polling booths, by unexpectedly changing rules to block access. (December 2024)
• “Why destroy evidence if nothing went wrong?” Gandhi asked, implying deliberate alteration of age old transparency driven laws/rules to prevent scrutiny.

Bangalore Central: A Case Study in ‘Vote Chori’

Focusing on the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhi said the Congress had anticipated a win based on internal surveys, but lost narrowly:

Margin: 32,707 votes

INC led in 6 out of 7 assembly segments, except Mahadevapura, where it lost by a staggering 1,15,586 votes.

Findings from Mahadevapura:

Congress’s detailed audit revealed:

Gandhi alleged that voters were registered multiple times—in the same constituency, across different states, and even using non-existent or zeroed addresses.

Example:

• 68 voters registered at a brewery (“Biere Club”).
• One voter, Shakun Rani, was registered twice in two months with slightly altered details and both entries cast votes. Ironically this woman voter (a mid-70 year old) was registered in the Form 6 batch of voters that are the ‘new voter’ category in ages 18-25 years!

Exit Polls vs Final Results: The growing mismatch

Rahul Gandhi further questioned:

• Why does anti-incumbency seem to affect every party except the BJP?
• Why are exit and opinion polls consistently off the mark in BJP’s favour?
• He noted similar suspicious swings in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

In Haryana:

• Congress lost 8 seats by a combined margin of only 22,779 votes—out of over 2 crore votes cast.

Nationally:

• BJP won 25 Lok Sabha seats with margins under 33,000 votes.
• “That’s all Modi needed to stay in power—just 25 seats,” Gandhi said.

Denial of Digital Voter Rolls: A deliberate barrier

Gandhi revealed that the ECI refused to share machine-readable voter rolls, instead providing physical documents that:

• Were over 7 feet tall when stacked.
• Could not be scanned using OCR (optical character recognition).
• Made manual verification virtually impossible.

“This is by design,” Gandhi alleged. “If the EC gave us electronically readable (searchable) digital data, we’d analyse it in 30 seconds. But they gave us deliberately un-scannable formats to stall scrutiny.”

Call for judicial oversight and constitutional accountability

• Gandhi called the EC’s actions a violation of its constitutional duty to safeguard elections.
• He urged the judiciary to intervene, declaring: “This is no longer just about one party’s loss. It’s a threat to the very foundation of Indian democracy—where every citizen gets one vote.”

He warned that the entire electoral process is being choreographed, facilitated by media hype, multi-phase polls, and an opaque EC.

Conclusion: A crisis at the heart of Indian democracy

Rahul Gandhi’s allegations go beyond partisan politics—they strike at the core of India’s democratic framework. If even a fraction of what he claims is true, it suggests that the electoral process, the one institution that legitimises political power, is compromised through a mix of bureaucratic opacity, voter list manipulation, and denial of digital transparency.

The Congress’s evidence-heavy exposé raises urgent questions:

• Why are electoral rolls being altered on such a massive scale without scrutiny?
• Why is the Election Commission refusing to provide machine-readable data, as required for transparency?
• Why were CCTV records from sensitive polling periods destroyed or withheld?

These are not just technical lapses—they are constitutional red flags. The principle of “one person, one vote” is not merely an administrative guideline; it is the very foundation of the Republic. If institutions tasked with protecting democracy instead facilitate its erosion, the implications are grave—not just for one election cycle, but for the future of electoral legitimacy in India.

The presentation given by Rahul Gandhi may be viewed here.

Related:

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Bihar’s SIR process reveals an exercise of illegitimate powers, ECI forcing district machinery to resort to unethical practices: CCG’s Open Letter

Non-Electors Within Electors: ECI reports over 61 lakh potential exclusions

Principles of secret ballot, free will compromised, electronic surveillance a possibility with Voting APP introduced by the ECI: Expert

Memo to ECI: Make Voter’s Form 17Cs list accessible on Commission website, clean up existing, technologically messy EVS structure, say citizens

The post Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘Vote Chori’ in 2024 polls, accuses BJP-ECI nexus of systematic electoral fraud appeared first on SabrangIndia.