Congress Slams Election Commission Over Voter Deletions in Karnataka Polls
New Delhi, Sep 18: Congress leader Pawan Khera has ramped up the party’s criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for what they call massive voter deletions during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. Building on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s recent accusations, Khera demanded answers from the poll body on why it allowed such irregularities, especially in the Aland constituency.
In an exclusive chat with , Khera questioned who pushed for these deletions and accused the ECI of stonewalling a CID probe into the matter. "The Election Commission owes us an explanation for this violation of the electoral process," he said. He pointed out that police only filed an FIR after Congress candidate B.R. Patil submitted hundreds of complaints to the ECI about voter list tampering.
Khera fired off a series of pointed questions: "Isn’t it true that the ECI isn’t cooperating with the CID investigation? Even after 18 reminders, they’re ignoring requests for information. Weren’t they caught red-handed in this mess?" He stressed that this isn’t just about wins or losses—it’s about keeping elections fair and transparent, a core value for the Congress party.
The controversy stems from Rahul Gandhi’s bombshell claim that over 6,000 votes vanished from the rolls in Aland through an "organised and systemic" effort. Gandhi alleged that scammers used fake online logins and out-of-state phone numbers to target Congress strongholds, wiping out votes from INDIA bloc supporters. This, he said, happened mostly in Congress polling booths.
For context, Aland in Karnataka flipped from a BJP win in 2018—when Subhash Guttedar took the seat—to a Congress victory in 2023, with B.R. Patil emerging as the winner. Khera added that without these alleged deletions, Congress could have boosted its margin by another 10,000 votes. "We won the elections, but the process must stay clean. Voter lists need to be spotless to ensure real democracy," he remarked.
The Congress push for electoral integrity in Karnataka voter deletions highlights growing concerns over poll transparency across India. As the party demands swift action from the ECI, the CID investigation continues amid claims of non-cooperation.
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