A major controversy has erupted in Karnataka after the draft electoral roll revealed that nearly 50% of Bengaluru's registered voters have been placed under the ASDO (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, Other) category, making them liable for deletion from the final voter list.

The BJP has accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of violating election guidelines, while the Congress claims the opposition is trying to politicize the voter list revision. Officials have asked voters wrongly marked under ASDO to verify their details before the August 8 deadline.

Watch the full report for the latest updates.

Bengaluru Voter List Shock: Nearly 50% of Voters Marked for Deletion | Karnataka Electoral Roll Row

A fresh political controversy has erupted in West Bengal after the unveiling of a statue of legendary Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar. The statue, inaugurated on the actor's death anniversary, has drawn widespread criticism on social media, with many claiming it bears little resemblance to the iconic superstar.

The issue quickly turned political as opposition leaders and even voices within the Trinamool Congress questioned the quality of the statue, calling for it to be replaced. The controversy comes at a crucial time for the Trinamool Congress, which is grappling with internal divisions following a major party split.

Uttam Kumar Statue Sparks Political Storm in Bengal | Mamata Banerjee Faces Fresh TMC Crisis

Repolling was held in several West Bengal districts on Saturday amid heightened security and tight monitoring by election authorities. The move comes after irregularities were reported during the initial voting process. Officials ensured strict arrangements at polling stations to maintain order and transparency. Voter turnout and smooth conduct of the repolling process are being closely observed as part of the ongoing electoral exercise in the state.


Bengal Elections: Repolling Takes Place Across West Bengal Districts on Saturday

The Election Commission of India has assured a balanced and fair composition of counting staff for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections. The move aims to ensure transparency, neutrality, and smooth conduct during the vote-counting process. Officials say strict guidelines will be followed to maintain credibility and public trust as the politically crucial elections approach.


Bengal Elections: EC Promises Balanced Composition of Counting Staff

India is preparing for crucial state elections, with voting scheduled from April 9 to 29. Citizens across multiple states will cast their ballots to elect new governments, testing the strength of regional and national parties. Authorities are ensuring security, smooth polling, and awareness campaigns to facilitate democratic participation.

 India Gears Up for State Polls, Voting From April 9 to 29

India’s Election Commission has announced elections for 37 Rajya Sabha seats, scheduled for 16 March. The announcement sets the stage for a high-stakes political contest as parties vie for influence in the Upper House of Parliament, shaping the legislative agenda and the balance of power ahead of key national decisions.


India's Election Commission Announces Elections for 37 Rajya Sabha Seats on 16 March

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (Dec 20) defended the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying that the exercise is aimed at ensuring that “infiltrators” are not included in voting lists while some 'deshdrohis'(traitors) are making efforts to keep them. “The Centre is taking strict steps to stop infiltration,” he said.&nbsp;Addressing a rally after inaugurating the new Terminal Building of Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, the Prime Minister slammed Congress for ignoring the development of Assam and the northeast, adding that he is correcting the mistakes of the grand old party.&nbsp;“Congress governments ignored Assam and the northeast for six to seven decades. Now I am correcting those mistakes,” he said.&nbsp;PM Modi alleged that Congress “a sin of trying to destroy the identity of Assam, and that it was becoming part of a plan to make Assam a part of East Pakistan. "Before Independence, when the Muslim League and the British were preparing the ground for the partition of India, there was also a plan to make Assam a part of undivided Bengal or East Pakistan. Congress was moving towards becoming part of this plan,” he alleged.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-could-have-stopped-epstein-s-abuse-new-release-reveals-1996-child-porn-complaint-was-ignored-1766228498936">FBI could have stopped Epstein’s abuse; new release reveals 1996 child porn complaint was ignored</a>&nbsp;“It was then that Bordoloi ji stood up against his own party and opposed the conspiracy to end the identity of Assam and saved Assam from being separated from the country," the Prime Minister added.&nbsp;He further said that the double-engine government of the BJP is making sure the stream of development flows uninterruptedly in Assam, just as the Brahmaputra river flows continuously in the state.&nbsp;PM Modi inaugurated several developmental projects in poll-bound Assam, including the terminal-2 building of the Guwahati airport, engineered to handle 13.1 million passengers annually and was built at an expense of around Rs 4000 crores.&nbsp;

PM Modi accused the Congress of neglecting the development of Assam and the Northeast and said his government is correcting their mistakes.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (Dec 20) defended the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying that the exercise is aimed at ensuring that “infiltrators” are not included in voting lists while some 'deshdrohis'(traitors) are making efforts to keep them. “The Centre is taking strict steps to stop infiltration,” he said. Addressing a rally after inaugurating the new Terminal Building of Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, the Prime Minister slammed Congress for ignoring the development of Assam and the northeast, adding that he is correcting the mistakes of the grand old party. “Congress governments ignored Assam and the northeast for six to seven decades. Now I am correcting those mistakes,” he said. PM Modi alleged that Congress “a sin of trying to destroy the identity of Assam, and that it was becoming part of a plan to make Assam a part of East Pakistan. "Before Independence, when the Muslim League and the British were preparing the ground for the partition of India, there was also a plan to make Assam a part of undivided Bengal or East Pakistan. Congress was moving towards becoming part of this plan,” he alleged. Also Read: FBI could have stopped Epstein’s abuse; new release reveals 1996 child porn complaint was ignored “It was then that Bordoloi ji stood up against his own party and opposed the conspiracy to end the identity of Assam and saved Assam from being separated from the country," the Prime Minister added. He further said that the double-engine government of the BJP is making sure the stream of development flows uninterruptedly in Assam, just as the Brahmaputra river flows continuously in the state. PM Modi inaugurated several developmental projects in poll-bound Assam, including the terminal-2 building of the Guwahati airport, engineered to handle 13.1 million passengers annually and was built at an expense of around Rs 4000 crores.

PM Modi accused the Congress of neglecting the development of Assam and the Northeast and said his government is correcting their mistakes.&nbsp;

PM Modi backs SIR, says EC drive meant to weed out infiltrators

The Election Commission of India flagged 58,08,202 (around 6 million) names as potentially eligible for exclusion from the electoral rolls following completion of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal. The poll body on Friday (Dec 12) extended the duration of the ongoing electoral clean-up drive for five states and a union territory, including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while in Rajasthan, West Bengal and Goa, it marked the completion of enumeration.&nbsp;According to the Election Commission, officials said that the figures represent the count of deceased, missing, relocated, bogus and other disqualified voters identified during the enumeration process in the state. The commission expected he final figure to be similar to the draft rolls with minor adjustments after considering complaints and anomalies flagged by the voters.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-accuses-ukraine-of-targeting-chemical-facilities-risking-exposure-to-civilians-1765528782940">Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting chemical facilities, risking exposure to civilians</a>&nbsp;West Bengal's electoral roll, last certified on 27 October 2025, records 7,66,37,529 registered voters. In this context, the provisional figure of 50 lakh represents a sizeable share of the electorate. Election officials and the Chief Electoral Officer’s office have repeatedly emphasised that this number is only a preliminary outcome of the digitisation process. They clarified that it must be viewed within the administrative sequence that follows: publication of the draft roll, issuance of notices, hearings, resolution of claims and objections, and finally, the Election Commission of India’s scrutiny and approval of the final list.&nbsp;The poll body classified 1,35,575 voters as bogus, while another 57,509 voters are placed under the "other" category, all of whom are slated for removal from the draft list. It will publish the draft electoral roll on December 6, following which voters can raise objections, report errors or submit missing information.&nbsp;The Election Commission launched the second phase of the SIR drive across 12 states and Union Territories with preparatory printing and training from 28–30 October 2025, followed by house-to-house enumeration from 4 November to 11 December 2025. Draft electoral rolls were published on 16 December 2025, with the claims and objections window open until 15 January 2026, and the final voter list set for publication by mid-February 2026.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/venture-capital-leaders-pranav-sharma-blue-gold-s-sameer-salgar-join-kyvex-1765534750547">Venture Capital Leaders Pranav Sharma &amp; Blue Gold’s Sameer Salgar Join Kyvex to lead Global Business Development and accelerate global expansion of India’s Sovereign AI Platform</a>&nbsp;However, the exercise became a point of contention between the ruling NDA alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition Bloc, with Congress describing it as a move aimed at vote theft. In contrast, the BJP described it as a routine exercise to clean up electoral rolls in the country.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Amid the row over the Special Intensive Revision, the Election Commission identified 58,08,202 names potentially eligible for deletion on the grounds of deceased, missing, relocated and bogus voters.

The Election Commission of India flagged 58,08,202 (around 6 million) names as potentially eligible for exclusion from the electoral rolls following completion of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal. The poll body on Friday (Dec 12) extended the duration of the ongoing electoral clean-up drive for five states and a union territory, including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while in Rajasthan, West Bengal and Goa, it marked the completion of enumeration. According to the Election Commission, officials said that the figures represent the count of deceased, missing, relocated, bogus and other disqualified voters identified during the enumeration process in the state. The commission expected he final figure to be similar to the draft rolls with minor adjustments after considering complaints and anomalies flagged by the voters. Also Read: Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting chemical facilities, risking exposure to civilians West Bengal's electoral roll, last certified on 27 October 2025, records 7,66,37,529 registered voters. In this context, the provisional figure of 50 lakh represents a sizeable share of the electorate. Election officials and the Chief Electoral Officer’s office have repeatedly emphasised that this number is only a preliminary outcome of the digitisation process. They clarified that it must be viewed within the administrative sequence that follows: publication of the draft roll, issuance of notices, hearings, resolution of claims and objections, and finally, the Election Commission of India’s scrutiny and approval of the final list. The poll body classified 1,35,575 voters as bogus, while another 57,509 voters are placed under the "other" category, all of whom are slated for removal from the draft list. It will publish the draft electoral roll on December 6, following which voters can raise objections, report errors or submit missing information. The Election Commission launched the second phase of the SIR drive across 12 states and Union Territories with preparatory printing and training from 28–30 October 2025, followed by house-to-house enumeration from 4 November to 11 December 2025. Draft electoral rolls were published on 16 December 2025, with the claims and objections window open until 15 January 2026, and the final voter list set for publication by mid-February 2026. Also Read: Venture Capital Leaders Pranav Sharma & Blue Gold’s Sameer Salgar Join Kyvex to lead Global Business Development and accelerate global expansion of India’s Sovereign AI Platform However, the exercise became a point of contention between the ruling NDA alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition Bloc, with Congress describing it as a move aimed at vote theft. In contrast, the BJP described it as a routine exercise to clean up electoral rolls in the country.

Amid the row over the Special Intensive Revision, the Election Commission identified 58,08,202 names potentially eligible for deletion on the grounds of deceased, missing, relocated and bogus voters.

West Bengal SIR: Over 5 million voters identified for likely exclusion from voter list

The Election Commission of Guinea-Bissau alleges that coup-linked forces destroyed key vote tally sheets, leaving the country without official election results. The claim has deepened political uncertainty in a nation already struggling with instability and competing power centers. This video breaks down the commission’s allegations, the military’s response, and what this means for Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process.


Election Commission of Guinea-Bissau Claims Coup Forces Destroyed Vote Tally Sheets

The Election Commission of India has announced a nationwide overhaul of voter rolls, aiming to remove duplicate entries, update outdated information, and ensure cleaner electoral data ahead of the 2025 general and state elections.


India Launches Mass Overhaul of Voter Rolls 

The Election Commission of India has announced a nationwide overhaul of voter rolls, aiming to remove duplicate entries, update outdated information, and ensure cleaner electoral data ahead of the 2025 general and state elections.

India Launches Mass Overhaul of Voter Rolls

Karnataka SIT found in an investigation that in the Aland seat, Rs 80 was paid for every fraudulent deletion request from the voter list, ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Election. The SIT has since raided properties belonging to BJP leader Subhash Guttedar, his sons Harshananda and Santhosh. The Aland seat was one of the anomalies brought up by the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;According to the SIT investigation in the run-up to the 2023 assembly election, 5,994 of 6,018 voter deletion applications were forged. The credentials of other voters were used by miscreants to file Form 7 applications without the knowledge of the applicants or the targeted voters. The probe pointed to a data centre based in Kalburgi was used as a submission point for these applications. The data center believed to have operated from Guttedar’s area of influence.Two individuals, Md Ashfaq and Md Akram, are alleged to have operated the data centre and facilitated the submission of these applications. The investigation also recovered a laptop and mobile phones. The probe found that 75 numbers belonging to people from different professions poultry farm workers to relatives of police, were used to file applications for the fraudulent deletion request from the voter list. The revelation was followed by a complaint by Congress MLA of Aland, B R Patil.&nbsp;The SIT was initially stalled due to the Election Commission of India not initially providing the crucial technical data to the Criminal Investigation Department.&nbsp;Congress Media Department head Pawan Khera said, “Under the BJP, the sacred right to vote has been reduced to a commodity – suspended for as little as Rs 80 per person. It is a disgrace for this government.” This was one of the prime allegations of the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, that voter deletion was not random, “there was method to this madness” said Khera, “The SIT’s findings now confirm that vote chori is no accident but a centrally organised, well-funded racket designed to rig our elections. The more we scratch the surface, the more this fraud is exposed.”&nbsp;

A Karnataka SIT probe reveals a shocking voter fraud in Aland constituency, where Rs 80 was paid for each fake voter-deletion request. Over 6,000 bogus applications were filed ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.

Karnataka SIT found in an investigation that in the Aland seat, Rs 80 was paid for every fraudulent deletion request from the voter list, ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Election. The SIT has since raided properties belonging to BJP leader Subhash Guttedar, his sons Harshananda and Santhosh. The Aland seat was one of the anomalies brought up by the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. According to the SIT investigation in the run-up to the 2023 assembly election, 5,994 of 6,018 voter deletion applications were forged. The credentials of other voters were used by miscreants to file Form 7 applications without the knowledge of the applicants or the targeted voters. The probe pointed to a data centre based in Kalburgi was used as a submission point for these applications. The data center believed to have operated from Guttedar’s area of influence. Two individuals, Md Ashfaq and Md Akram, are alleged to have operated the data centre and facilitated the submission of these applications. The investigation also recovered a laptop and mobile phones. The probe found that 75 numbers belonging to people from different professions poultry farm workers to relatives of police, were used to file applications for the fraudulent deletion request from the voter list. The revelation was followed by a complaint by Congress MLA of Aland, B R Patil. The SIT was initially stalled due to the Election Commission of India not initially providing the crucial technical data to the Criminal Investigation Department. Congress Media Department head Pawan Khera said, “Under the BJP, the sacred right to vote has been reduced to a commodity – suspended for as little as Rs 80 per person. It is a disgrace for this government.” This was one of the prime allegations of the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, that voter deletion was not random, “there was method to this madness” said Khera, “The SIT’s findings now confirm that vote chori is no accident but a centrally organised, well-funded racket designed to rig our elections. The more we scratch the surface, the more this fraud is exposed.”

A Karnataka SIT probe reveals a shocking voter fraud in Aland constituency, where Rs 80 was paid for each fake voter-deletion request. Over 6,000 bogus applications were filed ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.

Karnataka SIT uncovers Rs 80-per-voter fraud scheme in Aland seat: Over 6,000 fake deletion requests filed before 2023 polls

The Election Commission is expected to visit Bihar next month, just ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections slated for October-November, raising anticipation that the election schedule might soon be announced. Typically, the Election Commission conducts a visit to a state on the brink of elections before finalising the polling dates, which are usually announced within a few days of the visit. In the upcoming contest, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising of BJP, JD(U), and LJP, is aiming for a continuation of their rule in Bihar. On the other hand, the INDIA alliance, which includes the RJD, Congress, and left-wing parties, is determined to dethrone Nitish Kumar’s government.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-time-has-come-to-decriminalise-defamation-law-says-supreme-court-in-a-shift-from-its-2016-ruling-1758543853467">‘Time has come to decriminalise defamation law,’ says Supreme Court in a shift from its 2016 ruling</a>&nbsp;The current 243-member Bihar Assembly is dominated by the NDA with 131 seats, of which the BJP holds 80, JD(U) has 45, and HAM(S) has 4, alongside the backing of two independents. In contrast, the opposition INDIA bloc has 111 seats, with the RJD leading at 77, Congress at 19, CPI(ML) at 11, and smaller left parties like CPI(M) and CPI contributing two seats each.&nbsp;Ahead of these elections, the Congress party is set to convene a crucial meeting of its Working Committee (CWC) in Patna on September 24. Key leaders, including Party President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other state leaders, are expected to participate in the discussions. The agenda is expected to cover critical state issues such as allegations of ‘vote theft’, rising crime rates, unemployment, and inflation, which have been increasingly problematic in Bihar.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has introduced several welfare measures, including free electricity and the deployment of more than 10,000 ‘Vikas Mitras’ to assist marginalised communities in accessing government benefits. Additionally, the state government has announced ₹10,000 for over 30,000 Shiksha Sevaks and Talimi Markaz workers to help them purchase smartphones, facilitating education for children from marginalised backgrounds.

Bihar election countdown: Election Commission set to visit state ahead of poll dates announcement

The Election Commission is expected to visit Bihar next month, just ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections slated for October-November, raising anticipation that the election schedule might soon be announced. Typically, the Election Commission conducts a visit to a state on the brink of elections before finalising the polling dates, which are usually announced within a few days of the visit. In the upcoming contest, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising of BJP, JD(U), and LJP, is aiming for a continuation of their rule in Bihar. On the other hand, the INDIA alliance, which includes the RJD, Congress, and left-wing parties, is determined to dethrone Nitish Kumar’s government. Also Read: ‘Time has come to decriminalise defamation law,’ says Supreme Court in a shift from its 2016 ruling The current 243-member Bihar Assembly is dominated by the NDA with 131 seats, of which the BJP holds 80, JD(U) has 45, and HAM(S) has 4, alongside the backing of two independents. In contrast, the opposition INDIA bloc has 111 seats, with the RJD leading at 77, Congress at 19, CPI(ML) at 11, and smaller left parties like CPI(M) and CPI contributing two seats each. Ahead of these elections, the Congress party is set to convene a crucial meeting of its Working Committee (CWC) in Patna on September 24. Key leaders, including Party President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other state leaders, are expected to participate in the discussions. The agenda is expected to cover critical state issues such as allegations of ‘vote theft’, rising crime rates, unemployment, and inflation, which have been increasingly problematic in Bihar. Meanwhile, Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has introduced several welfare measures, including free electricity and the deployment of more than 10,000 ‘Vikas Mitras’ to assist marginalised communities in accessing government benefits. Additionally, the state government has announced ₹10,000 for over 30,000 Shiksha Sevaks and Talimi Markaz workers to help them purchase smartphones, facilitating education for children from marginalised backgrounds.

The Election Commission is set to visit Bihar ahead of the October-November Assembly polls. With NDA and INDIA alliances preparing for a fierce contest, Congress is holding a key meeting to address state issues

Bangladesh’s Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) said it has "locked" the national identity cards of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, effectively barring her from voting in the general elections scheduled for February next year.


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A political row has erupted in India over allegations of "vote theft", with opposition parties accusing the country's election body of irregularities, which they say favoured the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 general elections.


India: Vote theft row escalates, leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi & Election Commission trade fire

The Election Commission of India (ECI) held a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday and condemned the allegations of vote theft in the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, while calling them an insult to the Indian Constitution. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, flanked by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, said in the press conference that the Election Commission and the voters are not afraid of petty politics. The CEC also objected to the use of “improper phrases” like “vote chori” and said that it amounts to insulting the Constitution.&nbsp;CEC Gyanesh Kumar further said that the Election Commission doesn’t see the ruling party and opposition differently, and everyone is equal for the poll panel.&nbsp;&nbsp;The CEC said that under the Constitution, every citizen above 18 must register as a voter and exercise their right to vote. “Every citizen of India who has completed 18 years must become an elector and must cast the vote,” the CEC said.&nbsp;<h2>‘Every political party registered with EC, no question of discrimination’</h2>&nbsp;CEC Kumar added that every political party is registered with the Election Commission, and there is no question of discrimination among them. He further stressed that the Commission would not step back from its constitutional duty and&nbsp;responsibilities.&nbsp;The CEC said that the Election Commission’s doors are open to everyone equally and that voters, political parties, and booth-level officers are working together in a transparent manner by verifying, signing, and even giving video testimonials. He expressed concern that these verified documents and testimonials from district party presidents and nominated BLOs are either not reaching their state or national leaders or are being ignored to spread confusion.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It is a matter of concern that the voice of these representatives of political parties is either not reaching their parties' leadership, or ground realities are being ignored in an attempt to spread misinformation,” Kumar said.&nbsp;<h2>‘Allegations made of double voting, no proof provided when asked’</h2>&nbsp;Condemning the allegations of vote theft, the CEC said, “More than 1 crore officials, over 10 lakh booth-level agents, and over 20 lakh polling agents work for a Lok Sabha election. Can anyone steal votes in front of so many people and with such a transparent process? Some allegations of double voting were made, but when we asked for proof, we got nothing. Such allegations scare neither the Election Commission nor any voter.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VIDEO | When asked about the ECI asking for affidavit regarding the accusation of &#39;vote theft&#39; issue, CEC Gyanesh Kumar says, &quot;If a complaint comes in view of a voter, the ECI examines, but if accusation is about 1.5 lakh voters, then should we sent notices to 1.5 lakh voters… <a href="https://t.co/6NKOUjdVb7">pic.twitter.com/6NKOUjdVb7</a>&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/1957038658214629540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>‘15 days still left, parties can approach us’</h2>&nbsp;The CEC said that 15 days were left for corrections in the Bihar draft electoral roll and called on every party to approach the ECI with the same.“15 days are still remaining. The Election Commission calls on every political party, any problems in the draft electoral roll given to them should be brought before the commission by prescribed forms in the next 15 days,” the CEC said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VIDEO | In a press conference, the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, &quot;As far as machine-readable electoral roll is concerned, the SC has already said in 2019, this can result in a breach in voters&#39; privacy. We saw few days back, photos of many voters were used in… <a href="https://t.co/gmCxWOUrGh">pic.twitter.com/gmCxWOUrGh</a>&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/1957028789419995601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>‘Breach of voter privacy’</h2> “As for a machine-readable voter list, the Supreme Court said in 2019 that this can lead to a breach of voter privacy. We saw some days back that photos of several voters were released in the media without their permission. Should the poll body share CCTV footage of any voter?” Kumar asked. The EC’s strong response came after opposition parties accused the poll body of “stealing” elections in collusion with the BJP, claiming that attempts were underway to manipulate the Bihar Assembly polls through voter additions and deletions under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. <h2>‘We will not let them steal the election in Bihar’: Rahul</h2> Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav accused the EC of acting as the BJP’s agent and “snatching people’s right to vote.”Gandhi launched the 1,300 km-long ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ from Sasaram in Bihar to step up the INDIA bloc’s campaign against what it claims to be “vote chori” (vote theft). Gandhi said the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ is a fight to save the Constitution. "In the whole country, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen, and their last conspiracy is to delete and add voters through SIR to steal the elections in Bihar. We will not let them steal the election in Bihar. People of Bihar will not let them steal elections. Poor only have the power of vote and will not let them steal polls,” Gandhi alleged.

The Election Commission’s strong response came after opposition parties accused the poll body of “stealing” elections in collusion with the BJP, claiming that attempts were underway to manipulate the Bihar Assembly polls through Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) held a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday and condemned the allegations of vote theft in the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, while calling them an insult to the Indian Constitution. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, flanked by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, said in the press conference that the Election Commission and the voters are not afraid of petty politics. The CEC also objected to the use of “improper phrases” like “vote chori” and said that it amounts to insulting the Constitution. CEC Gyanesh Kumar further said that the Election Commission doesn’t see the ruling party and opposition differently, and everyone is equal for the poll panel. The CEC said that under the Constitution, every citizen above 18 must register as a voter and exercise their right to vote. “Every citizen of India who has completed 18 years must become an elector and must cast the vote,” the CEC said. ‘Every political party registered with EC, no question of discrimination’ CEC Kumar added that every political party is registered with the Election Commission, and there is no question of discrimination among them. He further stressed that the Commission would not step back from its constitutional duty and responsibilities. The CEC said that the Election Commission’s doors are open to everyone equally and that voters, political parties, and booth-level officers are working together in a transparent manner by verifying, signing, and even giving video testimonials. He expressed concern that these verified documents and testimonials from district party presidents and nominated BLOs are either not reaching their state or national leaders or are being ignored to spread confusion. “It is a matter of concern that the voice of these representatives of political parties is either not reaching their parties' leadership, or ground realities are being ignored in an attempt to spread misinformation,” Kumar said. ‘Allegations made of double voting, no proof provided when asked’ Condemning the allegations of vote theft, the CEC said, “More than 1 crore officials, over 10 lakh booth-level agents, and over 20 lakh polling agents work for a Lok Sabha election. Can anyone steal votes in front of so many people and with such a transparent process? Some allegations of double voting were made, but when we asked for proof, we got nothing. Such allegations scare neither the Election Commission nor any voter.”

The Election Commission’s strong response came after opposition parties accused the poll body of “stealing” elections in collusion with the BJP, claiming that attempts were underway to manipulate the Bihar Assembly polls through Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

‘Vote theft allegations an insult, few leaders misleading voters:’ CEC refutes Oppn’s charge of bias

Amid the row over "vote theft" allegations, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday claimed that people are "dissatisfied" with the Election Commission's working. Speaking to reporters, Akhilesh Yadav said that questions have been raised on the poll body over several elections. He said, "From time to time, fingers have been pointed at the Election Commission, whether it is the election for village head, assembly election, Lok Sabha election, or any other election." "Ensuring free and fair elections and increasing people's trust in the institution is the Election Commission's responsibility... But we are seeing that people are dissatisfied with the way the Election Commission is working," the Samajwadi Party chief said. He claimed that no action was taken even after submitting an affidavit regarding a voter fraud of 18,000 votes. Yadav said, "Recently, the INDIA alliance raised its voice against vote theft, and the result was that even the Supreme Court had to agree with the Opposition's stance. We gave an affidavit regarding a voter fraud of 18,000 votes, but no action was taken. If action is taken against even a single officer of the Election Commission, then there will be no vote theft, vote robbery, or any such looting anywhere." "We have heard reports about people giving their vote in EVMs, and it turns out to be zero. There have been questions on how EMV's battery is fully charged even after being kept for months. So there has been a demand for ballot... Learn from America, Japan and Germany. Germany's Supreme Court said that voting through EVMs will be unconstitutional," SP chief further said. Akhilesh Yadav addressed the reporters after paying a tribute to warrior queen Avantibai Lodhi on her birth anniversary by garlanding her statue in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday shared a spoof video inspired by the film Laapataa Ladies, reiterating the Congress's "vote theft" allegations against the Election Commission and urging people to join the 'Vote Chori se Azaadi' campaign. Sharing the video on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Chori chori, chupke chupke... ab or nahi, janta jag gayi hai, (Secretly, stealthily... No more now, the public has awakened)." The video shows a middle-aged man at a police station submitting a theft complaint. When asked by a policeman, "What has been stolen?" the man hesitates before replying, "Vote." The policeman reacts in shock and asks, "How's this possible?" The video ends with the message, “Theft of your vote is theft of your right.”&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.&nbsp;

Yadav claimed that no action was taken by Election Commission even after submitting an affidavit regarding a voter fraud of 18,000 votes.

Amid the row over "vote theft" allegations, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday claimed that people are "dissatisfied" with the Election Commission's working. Speaking to reporters, Akhilesh Yadav said that questions have been raised on the poll body over several elections. He said, "From time to time, fingers have been pointed at the Election Commission, whether it is the election for village head, assembly election, Lok Sabha election, or any other election." "Ensuring free and fair elections and increasing people's trust in the institution is the Election Commission's responsibility... But we are seeing that people are dissatisfied with the way the Election Commission is working," the Samajwadi Party chief said. He claimed that no action was taken even after submitting an affidavit regarding a voter fraud of 18,000 votes. Yadav said, "Recently, the INDIA alliance raised its voice against vote theft, and the result was that even the Supreme Court had to agree with the Opposition's stance. We gave an affidavit regarding a voter fraud of 18,000 votes, but no action was taken. If action is taken against even a single officer of the Election Commission, then there will be no vote theft, vote robbery, or any such looting anywhere." "We have heard reports about people giving their vote in EVMs, and it turns out to be zero. There have been questions on how EMV's battery is fully charged even after being kept for months. So there has been a demand for ballot... Learn from America, Japan and Germany. Germany's Supreme Court said that voting through EVMs will be unconstitutional," SP chief further said. Akhilesh Yadav addressed the reporters after paying a tribute to warrior queen Avantibai Lodhi on her birth anniversary by garlanding her statue in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday shared a spoof video inspired by the film Laapataa Ladies, reiterating the Congress's "vote theft" allegations against the Election Commission and urging people to join the 'Vote Chori se Azaadi' campaign. Sharing the video on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Chori chori, chupke chupke... ab or nahi, janta jag gayi hai, (Secretly, stealthily... No more now, the public has awakened)." The video shows a middle-aged man at a police station submitting a theft complaint. When asked by a policeman, "What has been stolen?" the man hesitates before replying, "Vote." The policeman reacts in shock and asks, "How's this possible?" The video ends with the message, “Theft of your vote is theft of your right.” Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Yadav claimed that no action was taken by Election Commission even after submitting an affidavit regarding a voter fraud of 18,000 votes.

Akhilesh Yadav slams Election Commission, says 'people dissatisfied' with working

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, held a press conference on Wednesday, August 13, at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in New Delhi to counter the allegations of 'Vote Chori' by Rahul Gandhi. His statements have raised more questions and drawn widespread scrutiny. Thakur presented what he termed as evidence of ‘vote chori’ in several constituencies like Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), Wayanad (Kerala), Diamond Harbour (West Bengal), Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh), Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh), and Kolathur (Tamil Nadu). He claimed that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, and M.K. Stalin all won the election through the inclusion of ‘doubtful voters’.The Congress Party swiftly responded by questioning the ‘veracity’ of Thakur's claims. Congress leader Pawan Khera said that there is an 'understanding' between the BJP and ECI. He said, "It took us 4-6 months to bring forward this data of one Assembly constituency. They have brought out the data of two Parliamentary constituencies. How did they get it? This proves that they have an understanding with the EC." Pawan Khera went ahead and demanded the electronic voter list of Varanasi. He said that by raising the issues of Waynad and Kannuj, Anurag Thakur has validated the claims of voter irregularities.&nbsp;”Those were the data from Wayanad and Kannauj. He says that there are fake votes there, too. So, he has proven what we have said. Anurag Thakur and BJP are raising the same question on EC that we had raised. So, they have proven what we said," said Pawan Khera.&nbsp;Earlier, BJP IT Department Head Amit Malviya said in a post on X that Sonia Gandhi's name first appeared on the electoral roll in 1980, three years before she could become a citizen of India. The rhetoric is diverting the issue towards whataboutery instead of verifying the authenticity of the electoral process. The Election Commission, instead of restoring the sanctity of the democratic institution, is resorting to a war of words by repeatedly demanding an oath from Rahul Gandhi. ECI said that the use of ‘dirty phrases’ like 'chori' is being done to create a false narrative; ‘one person, one vote’ has been there in India since 1951-52. Rahul Gandhi responded, 'Interestingly, they haven't denied the information.'The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the ECI for its reluctance to publish the deleted voter profiles on the Election Commission website, while hearing petitions challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in poll-bound Bihar. It directed ECI to publish the list of 65 lakh deleted voters and the reason for exclusion with a 30 day window to make corrections. ECI lamented when parties lose election they start blaming the electronic voting machines. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Anurag Thakur sparks controversy with his 'vote chori' presser by alleging voter irregularities in the opposition stronghold, drawing backlash from the opposition and validating voter irregularities.

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, held a press conference on Wednesday, August 13, at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in New Delhi to counter the allegations of 'Vote Chori' by Rahul Gandhi. His statements have raised more questions and drawn widespread scrutiny. Thakur presented what he termed as evidence of ‘vote chori’ in several constituencies like Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), Wayanad (Kerala), Diamond Harbour (West Bengal), Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh), Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh), and Kolathur (Tamil Nadu). He claimed that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, and M.K. Stalin all won the election through the inclusion of ‘doubtful voters’. The Congress Party swiftly responded by questioning the ‘veracity’ of Thakur's claims. Congress leader Pawan Khera said that there is an 'understanding' between the BJP and ECI. He said, "It took us 4-6 months to bring forward this data of one Assembly constituency. They have brought out the data of two Parliamentary constituencies. How did they get it? This proves that they have an understanding with the EC." Pawan Khera went ahead and demanded the electronic voter list of Varanasi. He said that by raising the issues of Waynad and Kannuj, Anurag Thakur has validated the claims of voter irregularities. ”Those were the data from Wayanad and Kannauj. He says that there are fake votes there, too. So, he has proven what we have said. Anurag Thakur and BJP are raising the same question on EC that we had raised. So, they have proven what we said," said Pawan Khera. Earlier, BJP IT Department Head Amit Malviya said in a post on X that Sonia Gandhi's name first appeared on the electoral roll in 1980, three years before she could become a citizen of India. The rhetoric is diverting the issue towards whataboutery instead of verifying the authenticity of the electoral process. The Election Commission, instead of restoring the sanctity of the democratic institution, is resorting to a war of words by repeatedly demanding an oath from Rahul Gandhi. ECI said that the use of ‘dirty phrases’ like 'chori' is being done to create a false narrative; ‘one person, one vote’ has been there in India since 1951-52. Rahul Gandhi responded, 'Interestingly, they haven't denied the information.' The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the ECI for its reluctance to publish the deleted voter profiles on the Election Commission website, while hearing petitions challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in poll-bound Bihar. It directed ECI to publish the list of 65 lakh deleted voters and the reason for exclusion with a 30 day window to make corrections. ECI lamented when parties lose election they start blaming the electronic voting machines.

Anurag Thakur sparks controversy with his 'vote chori' presser by alleging voter irregularities in the opposition stronghold, drawing backlash from the opposition and validating voter irregularities.

Vote Chori row- Anurag Thakur’s ‘Vote Chori’ presser lands him in murky political waters

Amidst constant attacks by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding fudging voter data, the Election Commission on Thursday (August 14) said rather than resorting to manufacturing false narrative with the help of "dirty words" like 'vote chori' (vote theft), evidence should be produced. In a statement, the EC said the "one person one vote" law is already in place since the first elections in 1951-1952. "If anyone has any proof of any person actually voting twice in any election, it should be shared with ECI with a written affidavit rather than colouring all the electors of India as 'chor' without any proof," it said. &nbsp;The poll body said that attempting to build a false narrative through the employment of "dirty words" such as "vote chori" against Indian voters is not only an attack on the crore of Indian voters directly but also an attack on the integrity of lakhs of election officials.&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha opposition leader, last week referenced data to make the claim that over one lakh votes were 'stolen' in Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha's Mahadevpura assembly constituency in the 2024 elections, leading to the loss of a Congress candidate. The Election Commission had instructed Gandhi to present a written statement in support of his allegations.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (August 13) claimed that he had a special experience of sharing tea with some "dead" voters from Bihar and thanked the Election Commission (EC) for it. Seven Bihar voters approached the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha at his residence and narrated their experience of how the EC had declared them "dead" and deleted their names from electoral rolls.&nbsp;“There have been many interesting experiences in life, but I never got the chance to have tea with 'dead people'. For this unique experience, thank you Election Commission!,” Gandhi wrote in a post in Hindi on social media platform X. He also posted a video of his interaction with the "dead" voters. In it, Rahul Gandhi can be heard instructing them to walk around and look at Delhi since the "dead" cannot even be issued tickets.

Stop false narrative and give proof Election Commission slams Rahul Gandhi over voter fraud claims

Amidst constant attacks by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding fudging voter data, the Election Commission on Thursday (August 14) said rather than resorting to manufacturing false narrative with the help of "dirty words" like 'vote chori' (vote theft), evidence should be produced. In a statement, the EC said the "one person one vote" law is already in place since the first elections in 1951-1952. "If anyone has any proof of any person actually voting twice in any election, it should be shared with ECI with a written affidavit rather than colouring all the electors of India as 'chor' without any proof," it said. The poll body said that attempting to build a false narrative through the employment of "dirty words" such as "vote chori" against Indian voters is not only an attack on the crore of Indian voters directly but also an attack on the integrity of lakhs of election officials. Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha opposition leader, last week referenced data to make the claim that over one lakh votes were 'stolen' in Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha's Mahadevpura assembly constituency in the 2024 elections, leading to the loss of a Congress candidate. The Election Commission had instructed Gandhi to present a written statement in support of his allegations. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (August 13) claimed that he had a special experience of sharing tea with some "dead" voters from Bihar and thanked the Election Commission (EC) for it. Seven Bihar voters approached the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha at his residence and narrated their experience of how the EC had declared them "dead" and deleted their names from electoral rolls. “There have been many interesting experiences in life, but I never got the chance to have tea with 'dead people'. For this unique experience, thank you Election Commission!,” Gandhi wrote in a post in Hindi on social media platform X. He also posted a video of his interaction with the "dead" voters. In it, Rahul Gandhi can be heard instructing them to walk around and look at Delhi since the "dead" cannot even be issued tickets.

The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, last week cited data to allege that more than one lakh votes were 'stolen' in Mahadevpura assembly constituency of Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha in 2024 elections, resulting in the defeat of a Congress candidate

'Stop false narrative and give proof’: Election Commission slams Rahul Gandhi over 'voter fraud' claims

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been detained by the Delhi Police on Monday (Aug 11). Several INDIA bloc MPs, including Sanjay Raut, and Sagarika Ghose, were also detained as they staged a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The lawmakers, who began a march from Parliament House to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters, were stopped midway near Transport Bhawan. After being detained, Rahul Gandhi spoke to reporters from a Delhi Police van and said that it is a fight to save the Constitution. Former CM of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, was also seen jumping a police barricade during the protest.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The reality is that they cannot talk. The truth is in front of the country. This fight is not political. This fight is to save the Constitution. This fight is for One Man, One Vote. We want a clean, pure voters list,” he added. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the BJP-led government ‘coward’, and added in Hindi, "Dare hue haii."&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Delhi: Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, &quot;The reality is that they cannot talk. The truth is in front of the country. This fight is not political. This fight is to save the Constitution. This fight is for One Man, One Vote. We want a clean, pure voters… <a href="https://t.co/Aj9TvCQs1L">pic.twitter.com/Aj9TvCQs1L</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1954800091748864411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The protest by the Opposition leaders came even as the Election Commission of India gave an appointment to Opposition MPs for an interaction at 12 pm on Monday (Aug 11). Due to limitations of the space, the EC had requested to submit the names of up to 30 people along with their vehicle numbers for the meeting.&nbsp;Opposition INDIA bloc MPs led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and floor leaders of other parties began the march to the EC from Parliament at 11.30 am but the Delhi Police said that no permission was sought for the march. Police said that security was tightened and barricades were erected at multiple points along the route.&nbsp;The march comes after Rahul Gandhi in a press conference last week, made explosive claims of a “huge criminal fraud” in polls through “collusion” between the ruling BJP and the EC, as he cited an analysis in a constituency in Karnataka and said it was “a crime against the Constitution”. He claimed that over 1 lakh votes in the Mahadevapura assembly constituency in Karnataka were found to be fake, duplicate, bulk voters, with invalid addresses and new voters added with misuse of Form 6, according to news agency PTI.

Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, have been detained during the protest march from Parliament House to the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi on Monday.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been detained by the Delhi Police on Monday (Aug 11). Several INDIA bloc MPs, including Sanjay Raut, and Sagarika Ghose, were also detained as they staged a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The lawmakers, who began a march from Parliament House to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters, were stopped midway near Transport Bhawan. After being detained, Rahul Gandhi spoke to reporters from a Delhi Police van and said that it is a fight to save the Constitution. Former CM of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, was also seen jumping a police barricade during the protest. “The reality is that they cannot talk. The truth is in front of the country. This fight is not political. This fight is to save the Constitution. This fight is for One Man, One Vote. We want a clean, pure voters list,” he added. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the BJP-led government ‘coward’, and added in Hindi, "Dare hue haii."

Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, have been detained during the protest march from Parliament House to the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi on Monday.

'We want a clean voters list': India's opposition leader Rahul Gandhi detained during protest against Bihar's SIR, Election Commission

Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating “vote chori” during the 2024 General election and the recent state assembly election. According to Gandhi, specifically in the 'Mahadevapura' assembly segment of Bengaluru Central, 100,250 duplicate voters were found. Other anomalies include duplicate, fake or bulk registration, misuse of Form 6, and invalid photos. This is the same seat which the BJP won by around 30000 votes. According to him, in Maharashtra, 40 lakh voters were created. He also accused the ECI of destroying CCTV footage, withholding machine-readable voter data and shutting down state election websites.<h2>Are Rahul Gandhi's 'Vote Chori' claims completely baseless?</h2>Rahul Gandhi's allegations are serious and tap into the broader public fear of electoral manipulation. There had been several independent investigations by the news outlets based on the details of the press conference of Rahul Gandhi. He gave an example of the house no. 35 in Muni Reddy Garden, Mahadevpura, which houses 80 registered voters. Several outlets like India Today, The Print, and Deccan Herald independently visited the address mentioned by Rahul Gandhi. The findings raised serious red flags. The house is occupied by a food delivery agent, Dipankar, from West Bengal, on rent. The house belongs to Jayaram Reddy, who once claimed to be with the BJP but later backtracked.&nbsp;Other independent verifications in Election Commission websites show bizarre findings, like many voters registered with house number zero, multiple voters voting with the same names, same address, a gibberish collection of random letters in the names and illegible microscopic images are present in the Election Commission's voter list. Open source analysis by Peek TV shows that the assembly in Bengaluru Central, which is in the middle of this political storm, has one voter named Gurkirat Singh Dang who is registered in four different polling booths and has four different voter IDs. Similarly, Aditya Shrivastava, a voter, is registered in UP, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.<h2>How did ECI respond?</h2>ECI quickly dismissed all the allegations, calling it a 'tired script' relating it to the previous claims of voter theft in 2018 by Congress leaders that were dismissed by the Supreme Court. &nbsp;It has demanded that Rahul Gandhi should either sign an apology or a formal declaration; refusal to do that means a lack of belief in his claims. The same affidavit-level evidence was asked by the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Election Commission of India cited Registration of Electors Rules 1960, 20(3)(b), a signed oath from Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;However, according to the rules, the Registration officer doesn't need to seek a signed oath. Similarly, Section 12 states that any complaint must be submitted within 30 days of the publication of the draft roll. Even if Rahul Gandhi signs an oath, the Registration Officer can just refuse to entertain the claims. So why do ECI need an affidavit if they can just deny it? Is it an attempt to buy time to cover up the mess created?It is to be noted that these duplicate voters do not necessarily indicate voter manipulation; these can stem from technical and mechanical errors as well as poor voter synchronisation. But the reaction from the ECI smells fishy. Former Justice of Bombay High Court BG Kolse Patil has criticised ECI's response as overly arrogant, called for Supreme Court intervention to hold them accountable.&nbsp;<h2>Why is ECI reluctant to release electronic voter roll data?</h2>The ECI argues that voter rolls contain sensitive personal data, even though they are available publicly in PDF form. Releasing this in bulk will make it easier for targeted political ads, scams and voter profiling. &nbsp;Moreover, historically, parties have used these data to send campaign messages and botcalls. They often cite Right to Privacy judgments from previous cases and lack of a Data protection infrastructure. But releasing the voter data will make large-scale duplicate audits possible, thus revealing the errors or malpractices. This is exactly the kind of audit that will give Rahul Gandhi's vote theft claim strength in spine. Thus, ECI controls the narrative by limiting access to the electronic voter data.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi's recent press conference has created a political storm in India, with several irregularities in ECI data questions about fair elections are imminent, as the ruling BJP tries to brush this off. Why is ECI too reluctant to give access to electronic data for an independent audit?

Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating “vote chori” during the 2024 General election and the recent state assembly election. According to Gandhi, specifically in the 'Mahadevapura' assembly segment of Bengaluru Central, 100,250 duplicate voters were found. Other anomalies include duplicate, fake or bulk registration, misuse of Form 6, and invalid photos. This is the same seat which the BJP won by around 30000 votes. According to him, in Maharashtra, 40 lakh voters were created. He also accused the ECI of destroying CCTV footage, withholding machine-readable voter data and shutting down state election websites. Are Rahul Gandhi's 'Vote Chori' claims completely baseless? Rahul Gandhi's allegations are serious and tap into the broader public fear of electoral manipulation. There had been several independent investigations by the news outlets based on the details of the press conference of Rahul Gandhi. He gave an example of the house no. 35 in Muni Reddy Garden, Mahadevpura, which houses 80 registered voters. Several outlets like India Today, The Print, and Deccan Herald independently visited the address mentioned by Rahul Gandhi. The findings raised serious red flags. The house is occupied by a food delivery agent, Dipankar, from West Bengal, on rent. The house belongs to Jayaram Reddy, who once claimed to be with the BJP but later backtracked. Other independent verifications in Election Commission websites show bizarre findings, like many voters registered with house number zero, multiple voters voting with the same names, same address, a gibberish collection of random letters in the names and illegible microscopic images are present in the Election Commission's voter list. Open source analysis by Peek TV shows that the assembly in Bengaluru Central, which is in the middle of this political storm, has one voter named Gurkirat Singh Dang who is registered in four different polling booths and has four different voter IDs. Similarly, Aditya Shrivastava, a voter, is registered in UP, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. How did ECI respond? ECI quickly dismissed all the allegations, calling it a 'tired script' relating it to the previous claims of voter theft in 2018 by Congress leaders that were dismissed by the Supreme Court. It has demanded that Rahul Gandhi should either sign an apology or a formal declaration; refusal to do that means a lack of belief in his claims. The same affidavit-level evidence was asked by the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Election Commission of India cited Registration of Electors Rules 1960, 20(3)(b), a signed oath from Rahul Gandhi. However, according to the rules, the Registration officer doesn't need to seek a signed oath. Similarly, Section 12 states that any complaint must be submitted within 30 days of the publication of the draft roll. Even if Rahul Gandhi signs an oath, the Registration Officer can just refuse to entertain the claims. So why do ECI need an affidavit if they can just deny it? Is it an attempt to buy time to cover up the mess created? It is to be noted that these duplicate voters do not necessarily indicate voter manipulation; these can stem from technical and mechanical errors as well as poor voter synchronisation. But the reaction from the ECI smells fishy. Former Justice of Bombay High Court BG Kolse Patil has criticised ECI's response as overly arrogant, called for Supreme Court intervention to hold them accountable. Why is ECI reluctant to release electronic voter roll data? The ECI argues that voter rolls contain sensitive personal data, even though they are available publicly in PDF form. Releasing this in bulk will make it easier for targeted political ads, scams and voter profiling. Moreover, historically, parties have used these data to send campaign messages and botcalls. They often cite Right to Privacy judgments from previous cases and lack of a Data protection infrastructure. But releasing the voter data will make large-scale duplicate audits possible, thus revealing the errors or malpractices. This is exactly the kind of audit that will give Rahul Gandhi's vote theft claim strength in spine. Thus, ECI controls the narrative by limiting access to the electronic voter data.

Rahul Gandhi's recent press conference has created a political storm in India, with several irregularities in ECI data questions about fair elections are imminent, as the ruling BJP tries to brush this off. Why is ECI too reluctant to give access to electronic data for an independent audit?

Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ claim strengthened by independent findings of voter roll irregularities, ECI criticised for data secrecy

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced the delisting of 334 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs).&nbsp;Of the 2,854 RUPPs, 2,520 remain. This delisting exercise is part of a comprehensive and continuous strategy of the Election Commission to clean up the electoral system.&nbsp;"The Commission, after considering all the facts and recommendations of the CEOs, has delisted 334 RUPPs. Now, out of the total of 2854 RUPPs, 2520 are remaining," EC said in a statement, adding, "These RUPPs will now not be eligible to avail any benefit under the provisions of Section 29B and Section 29C of the RP Act, 1951 read with the relevant provisions of the Income Tax Act,1961 and the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Any party aggrieved by this order can appeal to the Commission within 30 days of the order."&nbsp;The Election Commission stated that there are six national parties and 67 state parties registered with the ECI. According to the guidelines for registering political parties, a party that does not contest elections continuously for six years will be removed from the list of registered parties.&nbsp;Earlier, in June 2025, ECI had directed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of states and Union Territories to conduct verification enquiries of 345 RUPPs regarding compliance with the said conditions.&nbsp;The CEOs conducted enquiries, issued show-cause notices to these RUPPs and provided each party an opportunity to respond and present their case through personal hearings.&nbsp;"Thereafter, based on reports of the CEOs, 334 RUPPs out of the total of 345 RUPPs have been found not complying with the above conditions. The remaining cases have been referred back to the CEOs for reverification," the statement read.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the EC today reiterated that it has not received a single claim or objection from any political party regarding the draft electoral rolls in Bihar.&nbsp;"So far, after over a week since the beginning of the Claims &amp; Objections period, not even a single claim or objection has been submitted by any political party," EC said.&nbsp;The window to submit claims and objections to rectify any errors on draft electoral rolls opened on August 1.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Earlier, in June 2025, ECI had directed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of states and Union Territories to conduct verification enquiries of 345 RUPPs regarding compliance with the said conditions.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced the delisting of 334 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs). Of the 2,854 RUPPs, 2,520 remain. This delisting exercise is part of a comprehensive and continuous strategy of the Election Commission to clean up the electoral system. "The Commission, after considering all the facts and recommendations of the CEOs, has delisted 334 RUPPs. Now, out of the total of 2854 RUPPs, 2520 are remaining," EC said in a statement, adding, "These RUPPs will now not be eligible to avail any benefit under the provisions of Section 29B and Section 29C of the RP Act, 1951 read with the relevant provisions of the Income Tax Act,1961 and the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Any party aggrieved by this order can appeal to the Commission within 30 days of the order." The Election Commission stated that there are six national parties and 67 state parties registered with the ECI. According to the guidelines for registering political parties, a party that does not contest elections continuously for six years will be removed from the list of registered parties. Earlier, in June 2025, ECI had directed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of states and Union Territories to conduct verification enquiries of 345 RUPPs regarding compliance with the said conditions. The CEOs conducted enquiries, issued show-cause notices to these RUPPs and provided each party an opportunity to respond and present their case through personal hearings. "Thereafter, based on reports of the CEOs, 334 RUPPs out of the total of 345 RUPPs have been found not complying with the above conditions. The remaining cases have been referred back to the CEOs for reverification," the statement read. Meanwhile, the EC today reiterated that it has not received a single claim or objection from any political party regarding the draft electoral rolls in Bihar. "So far, after over a week since the beginning of the Claims & Objections period, not even a single claim or objection has been submitted by any political party," EC said. The window to submit claims and objections to rectify any errors on draft electoral rolls opened on August 1. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Earlier, in June 2025, ECI had directed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of states and Union Territories to conduct verification enquiries of 345 RUPPs regarding compliance with the said conditions.

334 registered unrecognised political parties delisted by Election Commission

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of large-scale voter fraud and challenged him to either formally verify his claims or apologise to the nation. Accusing him of repeating an ‘old political script’, the poll body said in a statement that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has raised “baseless” charges similar to those made in 2018 by then Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath, which were dismissed by the Supreme Court. “At his recent press conference, Rahul repeated a tired script. In 2018, it was then Kamal Nath, the then President of MPCC; today, it’s the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha playing the same tune,” the EC said.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2018, Congress leaders attempted to mislead the court by producing documents from a private website to claim errors in electoral rolls, including instances where “the same face was shown again for as many as 36 voters.” The EC said those defects had been rectified months earlier and the details shared with the party.&nbsp;“The Court refused to accept the prayer of Kamal Nath. Now, in 2025, they, being aware that the same trick cannot be played in court, are trying to mislead the people by claiming irregularities in the electoral rolls,” it added.&nbsp;<h2>‘Trying to sensationalise issue with baseless claims in media’</h2>&nbsp;The commission referred to a specific case of one name of Aditya Srivastava, which Rahul claimed appeared in three different states. “In fact, [this] was rectified months ago,” it said. It further reminded the Congress leader that the Kamal Nath judgment had “settled” the position on machine-readable electoral rolls, and accused him of disregarding the Supreme Court’s decisions.&nbsp;“Law provides a specific procedure for both making objections to the roll and for making an appeal. Instead of availing the legal processes, he tried to sensationalise the issue by making baseless claims in the media,” the EC said.&nbsp;“If Rahul believes in his analysis and believes that his allegations against the EC are true, he should have respect for the law and sign the Declaration, or apologise to the nation for raising absurd allegations against the EC.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The chief electoral officers (CEOs) of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana had asked Rahul to submit the names of voters he believes were wrongly included or removed, along with a signed oath under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Rahul alleged ‘vote chori’ in Karnataka constituency</h2>&nbsp;On Thursday, Rahul alleged “vote chori” in a Karnataka constituency involving 1,00,250 votes and irregularities in the rolls.Dismissing the EC’s demand for a signed declaration, he said, “I am a politician; what I say to the people is my word. I am saying it to the people publicly, take it as an oath. Interestingly, they haven’t denied the information.”&nbsp;He accused the EC of colluding with the BJP to “undermine democracy” and warned polling officials allegedly involved of consequences if the Opposition came to power.He also claimed that the EC was “destroying evidence” by limiting the preservation of CCTV and webcasting footage to 45 days unless election results were legally challenged.&nbsp;“It is the 21st century; you can keep as much data as you want in a hard drive, even 10 years old data, but the Election Commission wants to destroy the CCTV footage in 45 days,” he said.&nbsp;<h2>EC issues detailed rebuttal&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;The ECI issued a detailed rebuttal to Rahul Gandhi’s five-question challenge, where he accused the poll body of bias, tampering, and shielding the ruling party. It said if Rahul Gandhi does not sign the declaration, it would mean that he does not believe in his analysis, resultant conclusions and is making absurd allegations.&nbsp;&nbsp;At a press conference on Thursday, Rahul had presented what he called an “atom bomb” of proofs of the ECI resorting to “vote chori”.&nbsp;&nbsp;BJP’s Amit Malviya scoffed at the Congress leader and said, “... he (is) indulging in political theatre only to obfuscate facts, plant doubts in people’s minds, and tarnish the image of a constitutional body entrusted with free and fair elections.”

In its sharp rebuttal, the Election Commission of India said that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has raised “baseless” charges similar to those made in 2018 by then Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath, which were dismissed by the Supreme Court.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of large-scale voter fraud and challenged him to either formally verify his claims or apologise to the nation. Accusing him of repeating an ‘old political script’, the poll body said in a statement that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has raised “baseless” charges similar to those made in 2018 by then Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath, which were dismissed by the Supreme Court. “At his recent press conference, Rahul repeated a tired script. In 2018, it was then Kamal Nath, the then President of MPCC; today, it’s the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha playing the same tune,” the EC said. In 2018, Congress leaders attempted to mislead the court by producing documents from a private website to claim errors in electoral rolls, including instances where “the same face was shown again for as many as 36 voters.” The EC said those defects had been rectified months earlier and the details shared with the party. “The Court refused to accept the prayer of Kamal Nath. Now, in 2025, they, being aware that the same trick cannot be played in court, are trying to mislead the people by claiming irregularities in the electoral rolls,” it added. ‘Trying to sensationalise issue with baseless claims in media’ The commission referred to a specific case of one name of Aditya Srivastava, which Rahul claimed appeared in three different states. “In fact, [this] was rectified months ago,” it said. It further reminded the Congress leader that the Kamal Nath judgment had “settled” the position on machine-readable electoral rolls, and accused him of disregarding the Supreme Court’s decisions. “Law provides a specific procedure for both making objections to the roll and for making an appeal. Instead of availing the legal processes, he tried to sensationalise the issue by making baseless claims in the media,” the EC said. “If Rahul believes in his analysis and believes that his allegations against the EC are true, he should have respect for the law and sign the Declaration, or apologise to the nation for raising absurd allegations against the EC.” The chief electoral officers (CEOs) of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana had asked Rahul to submit the names of voters he believes were wrongly included or removed, along with a signed oath under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Rahul alleged ‘vote chori’ in Karnataka constituency On Thursday, Rahul alleged “vote chori” in a Karnataka constituency involving 1,00,250 votes and irregularities in the rolls. Dismissing the EC’s demand for a signed declaration, he said, “I am a politician; what I say to the people is my word. I am saying it to the people publicly, take it as an oath. Interestingly, they haven’t denied the information.” He accused the EC of colluding with the BJP to “undermine democracy” and warned polling officials allegedly involved of consequences if the Opposition came to power. He also claimed that the EC was “destroying evidence” by limiting the preservation of CCTV and webcasting footage to 45 days unless election results were legally challenged. “It is the 21st century; you can keep as much data as you want in a hard drive, even 10 years old data, but the Election Commission wants to destroy the CCTV footage in 45 days,” he said. EC issues detailed rebuttal The ECI issued a detailed rebuttal to Rahul Gandhi’s five-question challenge, where he accused the poll body of bias, tampering, and shielding the ruling party. It said if Rahul Gandhi does not sign the declaration, it would mean that he does not believe in his analysis, resultant conclusions and is making absurd allegations. At a press conference on Thursday, Rahul had presented what he called an “atom bomb” of proofs of the ECI resorting to “vote chori”. BJP’s Amit Malviya scoffed at the Congress leader and said, “... he (is) indulging in political theatre only to obfuscate facts, plant doubts in people’s minds, and tarnish the image of a constitutional body entrusted with free and fair elections.”

In its sharp rebuttal, the Election Commission of India said that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has raised “baseless” charges similar to those made in 2018 by then Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath, which were dismissed by the Supreme Court.

‘Verify claims or apologise to nation’: EC slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote theft’ charge, cites 2018 SC verdict

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to furnish by August 9 the details of around 65 lakh electors left out from the draft electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.&nbsp;A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh asked the counsel for the poll panel to furnish the details of deleted voters, the data which has been already shared with the political parties, and give a copy to the NGO, Association For Democratic Reforms.&nbsp;The NGO, which has challenged the June 24 order of the Election Commission directing for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, filed a fresh application seeking direction to the poll panel to publish the names of around 65 lakh deleted voters with the mention whether they are dead, permanently migrated or not considered for any other reason.&nbsp;The bench told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, that the reason for deletion would come in subsequent time as it is now only a draft list.&nbsp;However, Bhushan contended that some political parties have been given a list of deleted voters but they have not further clarified whether the said voter is dead or migrated.&nbsp;The bench told the ECI's counsel, "We will see every voter likely to be affected and get the required information. You (ECI) file a reply by Saturday and let Mr Bhushan look at it and then we can see what is disclosed and what is not disclosed." Bhushan alleged that 75 percent of voters, who have filled the enumeration form have not furnished any supporting documents mentioned in the list of 11 documents and their names were included on the recommendation of Booth Level Officer (BLO) of the poll panel.&nbsp;The bench said it is commencing hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the June 24 order of the poll panel on August 12 and the NGO can make these averments on that day.&nbsp;Terming the Election Commission a constitutional authority deemed to act in accordance with law, the top court had said on July 29 that it will step in immediately if there is "mass exclusion" in the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar.&nbsp;It had fixed a timeline for considering a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's SIR exercise in Bihar and said the hearing on the issue will be held on August 12 and 13.&nbsp;Earlier, observing there should be "en masse inclusion" instead of "en masse exclusion” in the ongoing SIR exercise of voters' list in poll-bound Bihar, the top court asked the Election Commission to continue accepting Aadhaar and voter ID documents.&nbsp;Underscoring the "presumption of genuineness" of the two documents, the top court also refused to stay the publication of the draft electoral roll in Bihar.&nbsp;The draft roll was published on August 1 and the final roll on September 30 amid opposition claims that the ongoing exercise will deprive crores of eligible citizens from their right to vote.&nbsp;On August 1, the poll panel came out with the much-anticipated 'draft electoral rolls' in Bihar, enlisting 7.24 crore voters but knocking off more than 65 lakh names, claiming that most of the persons concerned had died or migrated.&nbsp;The draft electoral rolls, prepared as part of the SIR, which has caused much controversy as the exercise was ordered with just a few months left for assembly polls, are available for voters online.&nbsp;The EC has said it was making available printed copies, district-wise, to representatives of political parties so that anomalies, if any, could be flagged during the 'claims and objections' phase, which would continue till September 1 before the 'final rolls' are published.&nbsp;The reasons cited by the EC for non-inclusion of previously registered voters in the draft rolls included death (22.34 lakh), "permanently shifted/absent" (36.28 lakh) and "already enrolled (at more than one places)" (7.01 lakh).&nbsp;The EC affidavit in the top court has justified its ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, saying it adds to the purity of the election by "weeding out ineligible persons" from the electoral rolls.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The draft roll was published on August 1 and the final roll on September 30 amid opposition claims that the ongoing exercise will deprive crores of eligible citizens from their right to vote.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to furnish by August 9 the details of around 65 lakh electors left out from the draft electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh asked the counsel for the poll panel to furnish the details of deleted voters, the data which has been already shared with the political parties, and give a copy to the NGO, Association For Democratic Reforms. The NGO, which has challenged the June 24 order of the Election Commission directing for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, filed a fresh application seeking direction to the poll panel to publish the names of around 65 lakh deleted voters with the mention whether they are dead, permanently migrated or not considered for any other reason. The bench told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, that the reason for deletion would come in subsequent time as it is now only a draft list. However, Bhushan contended that some political parties have been given a list of deleted voters but they have not further clarified whether the said voter is dead or migrated. The bench told the ECI's counsel, "We will see every voter likely to be affected and get the required information. You (ECI) file a reply by Saturday and let Mr Bhushan look at it and then we can see what is disclosed and what is not disclosed." Bhushan alleged that 75 percent of voters, who have filled the enumeration form have not furnished any supporting documents mentioned in the list of 11 documents and their names were included on the recommendation of Booth Level Officer (BLO) of the poll panel. The bench said it is commencing hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the June 24 order of the poll panel on August 12 and the NGO can make these averments on that day. Terming the Election Commission a constitutional authority deemed to act in accordance with law, the top court had said on July 29 that it will step in immediately if there is "mass exclusion" in the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar. It had fixed a timeline for considering a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's SIR exercise in Bihar and said the hearing on the issue will be held on August 12 and 13. Earlier, observing there should be "en masse inclusion" instead of "en masse exclusion” in the ongoing SIR exercise of voters' list in poll-bound Bihar, the top court asked the Election Commission to continue accepting Aadhaar and voter ID documents. Underscoring the "presumption of genuineness" of the two documents, the top court also refused to stay the publication of the draft electoral roll in Bihar. The draft roll was published on August 1 and the final roll on September 30 amid opposition claims that the ongoing exercise will deprive crores of eligible citizens from their right to vote. On August 1, the poll panel came out with the much-anticipated 'draft electoral rolls' in Bihar, enlisting 7.24 crore voters but knocking off more than 65 lakh names, claiming that most of the persons concerned had died or migrated. The draft electoral rolls, prepared as part of the SIR, which has caused much controversy as the exercise was ordered with just a few months left for assembly polls, are available for voters online. The EC has said it was making available printed copies, district-wise, to representatives of political parties so that anomalies, if any, could be flagged during the 'claims and objections' phase, which would continue till September 1 before the 'final rolls' are published. The reasons cited by the EC for non-inclusion of previously registered voters in the draft rolls included death (22.34 lakh), "permanently shifted/absent" (36.28 lakh) and "already enrolled (at more than one places)" (7.01 lakh). The EC affidavit in the top court has justified its ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, saying it adds to the purity of the election by "weeding out ineligible persons" from the electoral rolls. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The draft roll was published on August 1 and the final roll on September 30 amid opposition claims that the ongoing exercise will deprive crores of eligible citizens from their right to vote.

Supreme Court asks ECI to provide details on reasons for deleting 6.5 million voters from electoral roll

The Election Commission of India on Sunday strongly refuted Congress MP P Chidambaram’s allegations of trying to change the electoral character and pattern of the states and claiming that 6.5 lakh new voters were added to voter lists in Tamil Nadu and called them “misleading and baseless”. Responding to the allegations, the EC said, “There is no need for political leaders to spread false information with respect to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being conducted by the ECl at the national level.”The poll agency added that such information is being “deliberately peddled in the media with a view to obstruct the exercise.”&nbsp;&nbsp;“As far as voters who have permanently shifted from Bihar to other states and are ordinarily resident in those states, the exact figures can be known only after the SIR has been conducted,” it added.&nbsp;<h2>‘SIR not yet rolled out in TN, absurd to connect it with Bihar’</h2>&nbsp;“The Constitution of India, read with the RP Act of 1950, envisages the enrollment of voters with respect to the constituency in which they are ordinarily resident. It is for the voters to come forward and get enrolled in the constituency where they are eligible. But, it is noticed that some false figures are being floated about the enrollment of 6.5 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu. SIR has not yet been rolled out in TN. It is therefore absurd to connect the SIR exercise in Bihar with TN. Such peddling of false statements with respect to SIR should be avoided,” the EC clarified.&nbsp;Chidambaram had questioned EC for adding approximately 6.5 lakh “migrant workers” to the electoral roll of Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">❌ The statements made are Misleading and Baseless<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ECIFactCheck?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ECIFactCheck</a> ✅Read in detail in the image attached 👇 <a href="https://t.co/gRVakP610s">https://t.co/gRVakP610s</a> <a href="https://t.co/gKU9a1gB0t">pic.twitter.com/gKU9a1gB0t</a>&mdash; Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ECISVEEP/status/1951962271606780383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>‘Alarming, illegal,’ Chidambaram alleged voter shifts</h2> In a post on X, Chidambaram wrote, “The SIR exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser. While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of ‘adding’ 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal. Calling them ‘permanently migrated’ is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice.” Tagging Tamil Nadu's chief minister's office in the post, the former home minister accused EC of abusing its power and “trying to change the electoral character and patterns” of states. He further said that the abuse of power must be “fought politically and legally”. <h2>EC issues notice to Tejashwi, asks him to hand over EPIC card</h2> The Election Commission on Sunday issued a notice to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav after it was found that he allegedly has two different EPIC numbers, RAB0456228 and RAB2916120. The EC clarified that the EPIC number, RAB2916120, which Tejashwi mentioned in his press conference, was not officially issued and asked him to hand over the card for further investigation. The ECI said in its letter, “Upon verification, it was found that your name is recorded at serial number 416 of polling station no. 124 (located in the library building of Bihar Engineering University), and the EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) number is RAB0456228.” It further added that the mentioned EPIC number does not officially exist. “However, as per your statement in the press conference, you referred to your EPIC number as RAB2916120. A preliminary investigation revealed that EPIC number RAB2916120 does not officially exist,” it added in the letter.

The Election Commission said there is no need for political leaders to spread false information with respect to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being conducted at the national level. It added that such information is being deliberately peddled to obstruct the exercise.

The Election Commission of India on Sunday strongly refuted Congress MP P Chidambaram’s allegations of trying to change the electoral character and pattern of the states and claiming that 6.5 lakh new voters were added to voter lists in Tamil Nadu and called them “misleading and baseless”. Responding to the allegations, the EC said, “There is no need for political leaders to spread false information with respect to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being conducted by the ECl at the national level.” The poll agency added that such information is being “deliberately peddled in the media with a view to obstruct the exercise.” “As far as voters who have permanently shifted from Bihar to other states and are ordinarily resident in those states, the exact figures can be known only after the SIR has been conducted,” it added. ‘SIR not yet rolled out in TN, absurd to connect it with Bihar’ “The Constitution of India, read with the RP Act of 1950, envisages the enrollment of voters with respect to the constituency in which they are ordinarily resident. It is for the voters to come forward and get enrolled in the constituency where they are eligible. But, it is noticed that some false figures are being floated about the enrollment of 6.5 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu. SIR has not yet been rolled out in TN. It is therefore absurd to connect the SIR exercise in Bihar with TN. Such peddling of false statements with respect to SIR should be avoided,” the EC clarified. Chidambaram had questioned EC for adding approximately 6.5 lakh “migrant workers” to the electoral roll of Tamil Nadu.

The Election Commission said there is no need for political leaders to spread false information with respect to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being conducted at the national level. It added that such information is being deliberately peddled to obstruct the exercise.

EC refutes Chidambaram’s accusations, warns leaders against politicising SIR

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, targeted the Election Commission of India on Saturday and alleged that his name was missing from the “draft electoral rolls” published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process ahead of the upcoming assembly polls. The ECI, however, has rebutted the claim, terming it ‘factually incorrect’. Yadav claimed that nearly 65 lakh voters have been removed from the state’s draft electoral roll, ahead of upcoming assembly elections this year. The EC had released the draft voter list for Bihar on Friday, following a month-long special intensive revision (SIR) exercise.&nbsp;“Almost 20 to 30 thousand names have been removed from every assembly constituency. A total of around 65 lakh voters, or about 8.5% of the total, have had their names removed from the list,” he said.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Patna, Bihar: &quot;My name is not there in the electoral roll. How will I contest the elections?&quot; asks RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, as his EPIC number is unable to fetch his name in the electoral roll. <a href="https://t.co/eF2VkeNIRw">pic.twitter.com/eF2VkeNIRw</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1951554714207920181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;&nbsp;“Whenever the Election Commission issued an advertisement, it would mention that many people had shifted, many were deceased, and many had duplicate names... But in the list provided to us by the Election Commission, they have cleverly not given the address of any voter, no booth number, and no EPIC number, so that we cannot find out whose names have been removed from the voter list,” Yadav claimed. At a press conference, Tejashwi connected his phone to a large screen and attempted to search for his EPIC number, which returned the message: “No records found.”&nbsp;“My name is not there in the electoral roll. How will I contest the elections?” he asked.&nbsp;<h2>EC refutes claim, shares draft roll copy with Tejashwi’s name</h2>&nbsp;The EC refuted Yadav’s claim and said his name is there in the draft roll and is listed at Serial Number 416 in Digha Assembly constituency.The EC also released a copy of the draft electoral rolls showing Yadav’s name, photograph, and details at serial number 416.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 Fake News Alert 🚨 Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that his name is missing from the electoral roll post Special Intensive Revision is false. His name appears at Serial Number 416. Please verify facts before amplifying misinformation. Deliberate attempts to mislead voters must be… <a href="https://t.co/Nh4G0i4JTP">https://t.co/Nh4G0i4JTP</a> <a href="https://t.co/UkJZYL4qJZ">pic.twitter.com/UkJZYL4qJZ</a>&mdash; Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) <a href="https://twitter.com/amitmalviya/status/1951557339175104932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The row comes after the Election Commission was targeted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and it refuted his allegations of electoral manipulation also. <h2>‘Tejashwi lacks basic ability to search his name in list’</h2> Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary responded on X, accusing Yadav of lacking the basic ability to conduct a proper search. “Your name is very much alongside that of your father, respected Lalu Prasad (Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo). You would do better to shut your shop dealing in fraudulent and false claims,” Choudhary said.

The Election Commission refuted Tejashwi Yadav’s claim and said his name is there in the draft roll and is listed at Serial Number 416 in the Digha Assembly constituency. It also released a copy of the draft electoral rolls showing Yadav’s name, photograph, and details at serial number 416.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, targeted the Election Commission of India on Saturday and alleged that his name was missing from the “draft electoral rolls” published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process ahead of the upcoming assembly polls. The ECI, however, has rebutted the claim, terming it ‘factually incorrect’. Yadav claimed that nearly 65 lakh voters have been removed from the state’s draft electoral roll, ahead of upcoming assembly elections this year. The EC had released the draft voter list for Bihar on Friday, following a month-long special intensive revision (SIR) exercise. “Almost 20 to 30 thousand names have been removed from every assembly constituency. A total of around 65 lakh voters, or about 8.5% of the total, have had their names removed from the list,” he said.

The Election Commission refuted Tejashwi Yadav’s claim and said his name is there in the draft roll and is listed at Serial Number 416 in the Digha Assembly constituency. It also released a copy of the draft electoral rolls showing Yadav’s name, photograph, and details at serial number 416.

After Rahul, Tejashwi targets EC, claims his name ‘missing’ from voter list; poll body fact checks him

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Friday that an independent investigation by the opposition found that the Election Commission of India is involved in a massive “vote theft” to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and termed it “treason” while warning the EC members of strong action. The Election Commission, meanwhile, dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft as baseless and urged officials to ignore such “irresponsible statements”.&nbsp;“We have open and shut proof that the Election Commission is involved in vote theft. Most importantly, whoever in the Elections Commission is involved in this exercise, right from top to bottom, we will not spare you,” Gandhi said while talking to reporters outside the parliament amid the escalating row over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar.&nbsp;Without naming any individual, Gandhi issued a warning to those in the Commission, saying, “You are working against India, and this is no less than treason. We will find you wherever you are, even if you are retired.”&nbsp;Explosive allegations by Rahul Gandhi against ECI&nbsp;Amid the protests in the parliament against Bihar SIR, Gandhi claimed that the opposition conducted an independent investigation after the recent elections and found proof that reveal ECI’s “involvement in vote theft”.&nbsp;“After the results of the Madhya Pradesh and Lok Sabha elections, we had our suspicions. Those only deepened after the Maharashtra Assembly polls—especially when we saw that 1 crore new voters had suddenly been added to the final voter list. That’s when we realised the Election Commission wouldn’t act. So, we launched our own six-month investigation. And what we uncovered is nothing short of an atom bomb. Once it explodes, the Election Commission will have no place to hide,” Gandhi said.&nbsp;Rahul’s warning to EC officials&nbsp;After his explosive claims, Gandhi issued a stern warning to the Election Commission officials, stating that they wouldn’t be spared even if they were retired.“Most importantly, whoever in the Elections Commission is involved in this exercise, right from top to bottom, we will not spare you. You are working against India, and this is no less than treason. Wherever you are, even if you are retired, we will find you,” Gandhi said.&nbsp;On Thursday, the INDIA bloc parties, in a unanimous decision at their meeting, resolved to intensify their protests against the ongoing SIR both inside and outside Parliament.The INDIA bloc's protest comes as the Election Commission is scheduled to publish the draft electoral rolls of Bihar on Friday.&nbsp;============================&nbsp;The Election Commission of India (ECI) in its reaction issued a strong rebuttal and dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft as “baseless” and urged officials to ignore such “irresponsible statements”.&nbsp;&nbsp;It said, “The Election Commission ignores such baseless allegations being made every day and, despite the threats being given every day, it asks all election officials who are working in a fair and transparent manner to not pay heed to such irresponsible statements.”&nbsp;“And I’m not saying this lightly, I’m speaking with 100 percent proof. And when we release it (proof), the entire country will come to know that the Election Commission is enabling vote theft. And who are they doing it for? They’re doing it for the BJP,” he said while speaking to reporters.

Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission of India is involved in vote theft and claimed that he has proof of it. He claimed an independent investigation revealed serious misconduct linked to recent polls.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Friday that an independent investigation by the opposition found that the Election Commission of India is involved in a massive “vote theft” to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and termed it “treason” while warning the EC members of strong action. The Election Commission, meanwhile, dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft as baseless and urged officials to ignore such “irresponsible statements”. “We have open and shut proof that the Election Commission is involved in vote theft. Most importantly, whoever in the Elections Commission is involved in this exercise, right from top to bottom, we will not spare you,” Gandhi said while talking to reporters outside the parliament amid the escalating row over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. Without naming any individual, Gandhi issued a warning to those in the Commission, saying, “You are working against India, and this is no less than treason. We will find you wherever you are, even if you are retired.” Explosive allegations by Rahul Gandhi against ECI Amid the protests in the parliament against Bihar SIR, Gandhi claimed that the opposition conducted an independent investigation after the recent elections and found proof that reveal ECI’s “involvement in vote theft”. “After the results of the Madhya Pradesh and Lok Sabha elections, we had our suspicions. Those only deepened after the Maharashtra Assembly polls—especially when we saw that 1 crore new voters had suddenly been added to the final voter list. That’s when we realised the Election Commission wouldn’t act. So, we launched our own six-month investigation. And what we uncovered is nothing short of an atom bomb. Once it explodes, the Election Commission will have no place to hide,” Gandhi said. Rahul’s warning to EC officials After his explosive claims, Gandhi issued a stern warning to the Election Commission officials, stating that they wouldn’t be spared even if they were retired. “Most importantly, whoever in the Elections Commission is involved in this exercise, right from top to bottom, we will not spare you. You are working against India, and this is no less than treason. Wherever you are, even if you are retired, we will find you,” Gandhi said. On Thursday, the INDIA bloc parties, in a unanimous decision at their meeting, resolved to intensify their protests against the ongoing SIR both inside and outside Parliament. The INDIA bloc's protest comes as the Election Commission is scheduled to publish the draft electoral rolls of Bihar on Friday. ============================ The Election Commission of India (ECI) in its reaction issued a strong rebuttal and dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft as “baseless” and urged officials to ignore such “irresponsible statements”. It said, “The Election Commission ignores such baseless allegations being made every day and, despite the threats being given every day, it asks all election officials who are working in a fair and transparent manner to not pay heed to such irresponsible statements.” “And I’m not saying this lightly, I’m speaking with 100 percent proof. And when we release it (proof), the entire country will come to know that the Election Commission is enabling vote theft. And who are they doing it for? They’re doing it for the BJP,” he said while speaking to reporters.

Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission of India is involved in vote theft and claimed that he has proof of it. He claimed an independent investigation revealed serious misconduct linked to recent polls.

‘EC involved in vote theft, it’s treason,’ alleges Rahul Gandhi with warning; poll body rebuts charge

The Election Commission of India on Friday (Aug 1) has announced the schedule for the election of the next vice president of the country. The last date for making nominations is August 21, and the polling (if necessary) is set to take place on September 9 between 10 am to 5 pm. This comes days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post on July 21, citing health reasons behind his reason to resign “effective immediately”.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Election Commission of India announces schedule for the election of Vice President of India Last date for nominations-August 21, 2025 Date of poll (if necessary)- September 9, 2025 <a href="https://t.co/Ct6u3A9KpR">pic.twitter.com/Ct6u3A9KpR</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1951181147234308526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Full schedule of election for vice president of India:</h2><ul><li>Issue of Election Commission’s notification calling the election - August 7, 2025</li><li>Last date for making nominations - August 21, 2025</li><li>Date of the Scrutiny of nominations - August 22, 2025</li><li>Last date of the withdrawal of candidatures - August 25, 2025</li><li>Date on which a poll shall, if necessary, be taken - September 9, 2025</li><li>Hours of poll - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm</li><li>Date on which counting, if required, shall be taken - September 9, 2025</li></ul><h2>How is the vice president elected?</h2>According to the official website of the Vice President of India, the vice president is elected by an electoral college, which consists of members of both Houses of Parliament: Lok Sabha, the Lower House and Rajya Sabha, the Upper House. It is in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, and the voting in such an election is by secret ballot.&nbsp;To become eligible to be elected as the vice president of India, a person should be an Indian citizen and at least the age of 35 years old. The person should also be qualified for election as a member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha). The website adds, “A person is not also eligible if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or a State Government or any subordinate local authority.”

This comes days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post on July 21, citing health reasons.

The Election Commission of India on Friday (Aug 1) has announced the schedule for the election of the next vice president of the country. The last date for making nominations is August 21, and the polling (if necessary) is set to take place on September 9 between 10 am to 5 pm. This comes days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post on July 21, citing health reasons behind his reason to resign “effective immediately”.

This comes days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post on July 21, citing health reasons.

EC announces date for India’s vice presidential election days after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation: Full schedule here

The Election Commission has finalised the electoral college for the election of the next Vice President of India and will soon announce the schedule. The development came days after Jagdeep Dhankhar's&nbsp;sudden&nbsp;resignation from the constitutional post, citing health concerns.&nbsp;The Electoral College, which elects the Vice-President, comprises the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members. These members are listed in a continuous&nbsp;serial order. They are arranged alphabetically based on the state and union territory from which they were elected. The Election Commission said in a statement that the list of the Electoral College can be bought from a counter set up by the poll body after the notification.&nbsp;"The Commission has finalized the Electoral College list for the Vice-Presidential Election, 2025. These members are listed in a continuous serial order, arranged alphabetically based on the State/Union Territory of their respective Houses," it wrote in the statement.&nbsp;"The Electoral College list will be available for purchase at a counter set up in the Election Commission of India from the date of notification, which is likely to be announced soon," it added.&nbsp;Jagdeep Dhankhar had resigned on July 21, saying he needed to follow medical advice.&nbsp;In his resignation letter, Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately.”&nbsp;He thanked the President for her "unwavering support". He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his cooperation and support.&nbsp;"Prime Minister’s cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office," he added.

The Election Commission has finalised the electoral college for the election of the next Vice President of India and will soon announce the schedule. The development came days after Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation from the constitutional post, citing health concerns.

The Election Commission has finalised the electoral college for the election of the next Vice President of India and will soon announce the schedule. The development came days after Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation from the constitutional post, citing health concerns. The Electoral College, which elects the Vice-President, comprises the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members. These members are listed in a continuous serial order. They are arranged alphabetically based on the state and union territory from which they were elected. The Election Commission said in a statement that the list of the Electoral College can be bought from a counter set up by the poll body after the notification. "The Commission has finalized the Electoral College list for the Vice-Presidential Election, 2025. These members are listed in a continuous serial order, arranged alphabetically based on the State/Union Territory of their respective Houses," it wrote in the statement. "The Electoral College list will be available for purchase at a counter set up in the Election Commission of India from the date of notification, which is likely to be announced soon," it added. Jagdeep Dhankhar had resigned on July 21, saying he needed to follow medical advice. In his resignation letter, Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately.” He thanked the President for her "unwavering support". He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his cooperation and support. "Prime Minister’s cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office," he added.

The Electoral College, which elects the Vice-President, comprises the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members

Election Commission finalises Electoral College for Vice-President elections

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