'6,018 voter names deleted in Karnataka's Aland': Rahul Gandhi drops 'hydrogen bomb' on vote theft
The Leader of the Opposition stated that in Aland, someone attempted to delete 6,018 votes, adding that it was caught by coincidence.
- Sep 18, 2025,
- Updated Sep 18, 2025 11:39 AM IST
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday, alleged the "systematic deletion" of voter names to weaken the Congress party's electoral prospects. He claimed that specific communities, including Dalits, Tribals, minorities, and OBCs, who largely vote for the opposition, are being singled out.
To substantiate his point, Gandhi gave the example of the Aland assembly constituency in Karnataka. The Leader of the Opposition stated that in Aland, someone attempted to delete 6,018 votes, adding that it was caught by coincidence.
"Somebody tried to delete 6018 votes. We don't know the total number of votes that were deleted in Aland in the 2023 election. They are much higher than 6,018, but somebody got caught deleting those 6018 votes, and it was caught by coincidence," Rahul Gandhi said at a press conference.
He added that after the booth-level officer in the constituency noted that her uncle's vote had been deleted, she discovered that it was a neighbour who had deleted the vote.
"She asked her neighbour, but they said I did not delete any vote. Neither the person deleting the vote nor the person whose vote was deleted knew. Some other force hijacked the process and deleted the vote."
He claimed that voter names were deleted using software and that fake applications were filed in Aland. Gandhi went on to claim that mobile numbers from outside Karnataka were used to delete numbers in Aland, and it was done to target Congress voters.
Besides this, he launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of shielding those who have "destroyed Indian democracy". He alleged that instead of ensuring free and fair elections, the poll body was acting in a biased manner.
He claimed that there were mass deletions of voter names not only in Karnataka but also in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Taking aim at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the LoP said that he needs to stop "protecting people murdering Indian democracy".
He also asked the CEC to provide details of 'vote deletions' within a week.
Furthermore, the Gandhi scion said that he would not make any statement that isn't backed by "100 per cent truth and proof". He said that he loves his country and is dedicated to protecting its democratic processes.
"I am not going to say anything on this stage that is not backed up by 100 per cent truth. I am somebody who loves my country, I love my constitution, I love the democratic process, and I am protecting that process. I'm not going to say anything here that is not going to be based on 100% proof that you can determine."
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday, alleged the "systematic deletion" of voter names to weaken the Congress party's electoral prospects. He claimed that specific communities, including Dalits, Tribals, minorities, and OBCs, who largely vote for the opposition, are being singled out.
To substantiate his point, Gandhi gave the example of the Aland assembly constituency in Karnataka. The Leader of the Opposition stated that in Aland, someone attempted to delete 6,018 votes, adding that it was caught by coincidence.
"Somebody tried to delete 6018 votes. We don't know the total number of votes that were deleted in Aland in the 2023 election. They are much higher than 6,018, but somebody got caught deleting those 6018 votes, and it was caught by coincidence," Rahul Gandhi said at a press conference.
He added that after the booth-level officer in the constituency noted that her uncle's vote had been deleted, she discovered that it was a neighbour who had deleted the vote.
"She asked her neighbour, but they said I did not delete any vote. Neither the person deleting the vote nor the person whose vote was deleted knew. Some other force hijacked the process and deleted the vote."
He claimed that voter names were deleted using software and that fake applications were filed in Aland. Gandhi went on to claim that mobile numbers from outside Karnataka were used to delete numbers in Aland, and it was done to target Congress voters.
Besides this, he launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of shielding those who have "destroyed Indian democracy". He alleged that instead of ensuring free and fair elections, the poll body was acting in a biased manner.
He claimed that there were mass deletions of voter names not only in Karnataka but also in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Taking aim at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the LoP said that he needs to stop "protecting people murdering Indian democracy".
He also asked the CEC to provide details of 'vote deletions' within a week.
Furthermore, the Gandhi scion said that he would not make any statement that isn't backed by "100 per cent truth and proof". He said that he loves his country and is dedicated to protecting its democratic processes.
"I am not going to say anything on this stage that is not backed up by 100 per cent truth. I am somebody who loves my country, I love my constitution, I love the democratic process, and I am protecting that process. I'm not going to say anything here that is not going to be based on 100% proof that you can determine."