Wayanad (Kerala) [India], September 18 (ANI): Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of colluding to undermine the electoral process and challenge democracy. Her comments came hours after her brother and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleged a systematic effort to delete voters supporting opposition parties.
“I urge everyone to watch his (Rahul Gandhi) press conference because you should understand what is happening in our country. The EC is colluding to destroy the electoral process and challenge democracy. We need to fight for democracy, the Constitution, and our country,” Priyanka Gandhi said in Wayanad.
Meanwhile in Bengaluru, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy echoed concerns about the poll panel’s independence, claiming it is controlled by the Central government. “Election Commission is not an independent body. It is controlled by Central govt. SC also directed EC, but they don’t listen. This is democracy in India,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi, during a press briefing, accused the ECI of not cooperating with the Karnataka Crime Investigation Department (Karnataka CID) in investigating alleged voter fraud in the Aland assembly segment of Kalaburagi district. He claimed the investigation, initiated in February 2023, has been stalled for over two years due to the ECI not responding to multiple letters from the CID. Gandhi described this as proof that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is “protecting vote chors (vote thieves).”
He further alleged that a centralised conspiracy is systematically targeting voters from marginalized communities—including Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis, and minorities—who traditionally vote for opposition parties. Speaking about Aland, Gandhi claimed that around 6,000 votes were targeted for deletion by unknown actors using software and mobile numbers from outside Karnataka.
“Election after election, some group of people have been systematically deleting voters across India. We had heard this before, but now we have 100 percent proof,” he said, demanding the ECI release the requested data within one week.
The Congress leaders’ statements signal intensified scrutiny and criticism of the Election Commission amid ongoing allegations of voter manipulation and disenfranchisement. (ANI)
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