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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a firm rebuttal to claims of large-scale voter deletions in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, calling the allegations “incorrect” and “baseless.” The clarification comes after Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the Commission on September 18 of shielding those involved in what he described as a “Vote Chori Factory.”

In its official statement, the ECI emphasized a crucial point: no vote can be deleted online by any member of the public. While citizens can submit applications for deletion through Form 7 on official platforms, the Commission clarified that these submissions do not trigger automatic deletions. Every request undergoes a thorough verification process by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), with the affected elector being notified and given a chance to respond, as mandated by the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

Aland Case: How Suspicious Deletion Attempts Were Blocked

In Aland, Karnataka, 6,018 online Form 7 applications were submitted in 2022 requesting deletion from the electoral rolls. Upon review, only 24 were found to be legitimate, while 5,994 applications were forged and subsequently rejected.

Recognizing the unusually high number of suspicious submissions, the Electoral Registration Officer launched an inquiry. An FIR (No. 26/2023) was registered on February 21, 2023, at Aland Police Station. Following the ECI’s instructions, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka handed over detailed information, including names, EPIC numbers, IP addresses, mobile numbers, form submission dates, and login details, to the Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police for further investigation on September 6, 2023.

No vote can be deleted online by any member of the public.
No wrongful deletion of electors in Aland; an FIR was registered by the authority of ECI itself in 2023 against suspicious attempt of deletions pic.twitter.com/anPtdNe0Tg

— ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2025

The ECI stressed that these preventive measures ensured no legitimate vote was deleted, and the 2023 Assembly election in Aland was won by B.R. Patil of Congress, confirming that electoral outcomes remained unaffected.

Maharashtra Also Witnessed Irregularities

A similar pattern emerged in Rajura, Chandrapur, Maharashtra, where 7,792 applications for new voter registration were submitted online. After verification, 6,861 were found invalid. An FIR (Crime No. 629/2024) was filed at Rajura Police Station to probe the suspicious surge in applications.

ECI’s Stance on Voter Roll Integrity

The Commission reaffirmed that electoral rolls are meticulously maintained and any additions, deletions, or corrections follow legally mandated procedures. Its primary goal is to ensure that every eligible voter is enrolled and no ineligible person is included.

Controversy Over Data Sharing

While the ECI insists that it shared “all available information” with investigators in September 2023, the Karnataka CID has repeatedly requested critical technical details—specifically, the Destination IP and Port, to trace the devices used to submit fraudulent applications. According to official correspondence and Rahul Gandhi’s statements, 18 requests from January 2024 onwards have gone unanswered, raising questions about the Commission’s transparency.

The dynamic IP addresses provided by the ECI proved insufficient for the investigation, as each IP was linked to over 200 users, making identification of culprits nearly impossible. Critics argue that the Commission and CEO Karnataka have only presented a partial picture of their cooperation, omitting these crucial follow-up queries in public statements.

Timeline of Key Events

• December 2022: 6,018 Form 7 applications received online in Aland.
• February 2023: FIR filed after complaints by former MLA B.R. Patil.
• September 6, 2023: CEO Karnataka shares available data with Kalaburagi Police.
• January 2024 – September 2025: CID repeatedly requests destination IP and port data; no response received.
• The Takeaway

The Aland and Rajura cases highlight the vulnerabilities in online electoral processes, but they also demonstrate the safeguards in place to prevent wrongful deletions. While the ECI maintains that votes were protected, the delay and partial sharing of data with investigative agencies underscore the need for greater institutional transparency and accountability.