Election Commission Clarifies Timing Amid Allegations of Voter Deletion in Karnataka
New Aadhaar Rule for Online Voter Services
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially made it mandatory to provide an Aadhaar-linked mobile number for any online application related to voter addition, deletion, or modification on electoral rolls.
According to official sources, this decision was made over a month ago, and the poll body’s IT team has now implemented the change nationwide.
“This is part of enhancing the integrity and authenticity of online applications,” an official from the Commission said.
Background: Allegations of Voter Deletion in Karnataka
This update comes amid strong allegations by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has accused the ECI of mass voter deletions in the Aland Assembly constituency in Karnataka.
Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations:
- Claimed 6,018 voter deletions took place in Aland.
- Alleged it was not random, but a “systematic operation by a third force.”
- Accused the Commission of delaying or denying information requested by the CID.
He also warned of an upcoming “H-bomb” of revelations linked to voter list manipulation.
ECI’s Response: Most Deletion Applications Were Invalid
In response, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar refuted the claims with detailed records:
- In December 2022, the Electoral Roll Officer in Aland received 6,018 Form 7 applications for voter deletion.
- A thorough verification process, including document scrutiny and field visits, was conducted.
- Result:
- 24 applications found genuine
- 5,994 applications found false or invalid and rejected
FIR Filed Over False Deletion Requests
- An FIR (No. 26/2023) was registered at Aland Police Station on February 21, 2023, to probe the origins of these false requests.
- Officials confirmed no mass deletion occurred, and the voter list remains intact after the review.
Rahul Gandhi’s Reaction to Aadhaar Rule Update
Following a report by The Indian Express that linked the timing of the Aadhaar rule implementation with his press conference, Rahul Gandhi responded sharply on social media, stating:
“We caught the theft and only then did you remember to put a lock. Now we’ll catch the thieves too.”
He also questioned when the Election Commission would share relevant data with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
