Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, September 18, launched a fierce attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging a massive, software-driven voter deletion campaign across several states.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Gandhi claimed that the operation disproportionately targeted opposition voters and accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of protecting those he described as “destroyers of democracy.”

Gandhi asserted that his claims were backed by verifiable evidence and promised that a “hydrogen bomb” of revelations would follow soon, exposing the full scale of the alleged fraud.

Here are the 10 key allegations made by Rahul Gandhi against the ECI:

1. CID Letters Ignored: Gandhi alleged that Karnataka’s CID sent 18 letters to the EC over 18 months seeking technical data such as IP addresses, OTP trails, and device ports but received no response.
2. Fake Deletion Forms: He cited an instance where a man named ‘Suryakant’ was linked to 12 fake voter deletion forms submitted within just 14 minutes, and another form fraudulently linked to a woman named ‘Babita Chaudhary.’
3. Centralised Software for Deletion: Gandhi claimed that voter deletions were carried out using a centralised software system designed to automatically select and delete the first name on each booth list, with fake applications tied to out-of-state mobile numbers.
4. Targeting Marginalised Communities: He accused the system of deliberately targeting Dalits, Tribals, minorities, and OBCs, weakening democratic representation in opposition-leaning areas.
5. 6,018 Votes Deleted in Aland: Gandhi alleged that over 6,000 names were deleted in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, discovered only when a booth-level officer noticed her uncle’s name missing from the rolls.
6. Congress-Leaning Booths Targeted: He presented what he called proof of vote theft specifically from booths where Congress had been leading, citing fake logins such as one under the name ‘Godabai’ used to attempt deletions.
7. CEC Accused of Shielding Offenders: Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of protecting those behind the voter deletions and undermining democracy.
8. ECI Called ‘Destroyer of Democracy’: Gandhi directly labelled the Election Commission as the “destroyer of democracy” for allegedly ignoring the fraud.
9. Commitment to Evidence-Based Claims: He reassured that every statement he made was backed by “100% truth and proof,” reaffirming his commitment to transparency.
10. ‘Hydrogen Bomb’ Warning Reiterated: Gandhi said the upcoming disclosures would be so significant that “the Prime Minister will not be able to show his face to the country.”

This explosive press conference follows Gandhi’s earlier allegation that over one lakh votes were stolen in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency during the 2024 elections.