In his second press conference on alleged voter fraud, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that millions of voters across India have been systematically targeted for deletion in what he described as a centrally coordinated scam. He, however, stopped short of unveiling the “hydrogen bomb” of evidence he had earlier promised.
Opening the press conference, Gandhi said his team was still preparing to release the promised evidence. “Not going to say anything on this stage that is not backed up by 100 per cent proof,” he stated, later adding: “Preparations are underway.”
Gandhi alleged that deletions were not random but focused on booths where Congress has a strong voter base. He cited Karnataka’s Aland constituency, claiming an attempt was made to delete 6,018 votes, including cases where fake logins were used without citizens’ knowledge.
Slides presented during the event purportedly showed suspicious logins and mobile numbers from outside Karnataka used in deletion processes. Gandhi highlighted examples of voters being removed within seconds, which he said was “humanly impossible”. He alleged that the scam resembled a call centre-style operation using software to manipulate voter lists through both deletions and additions.
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The Congress leader also accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those behind the alleged scam. He claimed the Karnataka CID had sent 18 letters over 18 months seeking details but had not received adequate responses. Gandhi gave the poll body one week to release data on mobile numbers and OTPs used in the process.
Fake Voter Additions and EC Response
Alongside alleged deletions, Gandhi claimed fraudulent additions were being made. He cited Rajura Assembly in Maharashtra, where entries included names like “YUH UQJJW” with the address “Sasti, Sasti”. Similar irregularities, he alleged, had been found in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Shortly after the press conference, the Election Commission dismissed Gandhi’s charges. “Allegations made by Shri Rahul Gandhi are incorrect and baseless. No deletion of any vote can be done online by any member of the public, as misconceived by Shri Rahul Gandhi,” the poll body said.
Despite heavy buildup by the Congress on social media, Gandhi clarified that the so-called “hydrogen bomb” was still to come. Thursday’s disclosures, he maintained, were supported by “100 per cent bulletproof proof”.
