Congress leaders have escalated their criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. This intensified pressure comes after Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, publicly accused the ECI of “inaction” regarding alleged attempted voter deletions. Congress representatives are now demanding to know how much longer the CEC plans to sidestep their crucial questions.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his concerns on social media, stating, “Armed with concrete proof, Rahul Gandhi has meticulously revealed the extensive voter deletions in the Aland Assembly constituency in Karnataka.” Kharge then posed three critical questions: “Who is the ECI protecting? Is the BJP undermining the very institutions designed to safeguard our democracy? Can our democracy truly thrive when its electoral system is being dismantled by what appears to be a ‘Vote Theft Factory’? He urged the people of India, particularly the youth, to demand answers to these pressing issues.
K.C. Venugopal, Congress general secretary (organisation), echoed this sentiment, questioning the CEC’s continued silence. He highlighted that those who previously demanded sworn statements are now disregarding 18 formal letters from the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department. Venugopal asserted, “The evidence of electoral malpractice now presents an undeniable case. How long will the CEC remain quiet to protect his masters? With each new revelation, the public’s understanding of this alleged ‘vote theft’ grows clearer. The Election Commission must provide immediate answers, as the nation awaits transparency.”
Jairam Ramesh, the Congress communication chief, further supported these claims by publicly sharing correspondence from the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer and the state’s Criminal Investigation Department. These letters explicitly requested crucial data, including the IP addresses used for submitting deletion applications and records of OTP transactions, to aid in their investigation.
Praveen Chakravarty, head of the All India Professional Congress (AIPC), credited a major news outlet’s “Aland story” and the exceptional investigative journalism behind it as significant drivers for their comprehensive research. He noted this extensive work culminated in Rahul Gandhi’s recent press conference on the matter.