‘Outdated Or Misinterpreted Voter Data’: Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Rejects Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s accusations of widespread voter duplication and electoral fraud in Uttar Pradesh have been firmly dismissed by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Navdeep Rinwa, who labelled the claims as based on “outdated or misinterpreted” information.
🔹 Rahul Gandhi’s Allegation of a “Voter Fraud Model”
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had failed to prevent large-scale duplicate voter registrations, which he described as part of a “nationwide voter theft model.” Backed by a 22-page document and a 71-minute presentation, Gandhi named two individuals — Aditya Srivastava and Vishal Singh — who he claimed were registered in multiple constituencies across Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
According to him:
- Aditya Srivastava (EPIC No. FPP6437040) was listed in:
- Jogeshwari East, Mumbai
- Mahadevapura, Bengaluru
- Lucknow East, Uttar Pradesh
- Vishal Singh (EPIC No. INB2722288) was registered in:
- Mahadevapura, Bengaluru
- Varanasi Cantt, Uttar Pradesh
He also alleged that:
- 1 lakh+ suspicious or duplicate entries exist in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru.
- 40 lakh “mysterious voters” were added in Maharashtra within five months prior to the last election.
Gandhi said his team had no access to machine-readable rolls, and therefore had to verify the data manually over six months.
🔹 UP CEO Rebuts Claims With Portal Verification
Shortly after Gandhi’s press conference, UP CEO Navdeep Rinwa issued a detailed response.
“As per the Election Commission portal dated August 7, 2025, both Aditya Srivastava and Vishal Singh are registered only in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru Urban (Assembly Constituency 174). No records exist for them in Lucknow, Varanasi, or Mumbai.”
He further clarified:
- Aditya Srivastava is not listed in Jogeshwari East, Mumbai.
- Neither of the names appears in Lucknow East or Varanasi Cantt electoral rolls.
Calling Gandhi’s assertions “outdated or wrongly interpreted,” Rinwa dismissed the allegation of voter duplication in UP.
🔹 Political Reactions
The remarks sparked immediate reactions across political parties.
- UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya mocked the Congress leader, posting on social media:
“What was hyped as an atom bomb by Rahul Gandhi didn’t even sound like a Diwali cracker — only smoke and illusion.”
- In contrast, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav supported Gandhi’s stance:
“Rahul Gandhi has raised a legitimate issue. There have been instances of electoral malpractice during past by-elections in UP. These concerns deserve serious attention.”
🔹 ECI & Karnataka CEO Respond
The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer also responded, urging Gandhi to submit a formal affidavit under Rule 20(3)(b), along with names and EPIC numbers of the alleged duplicate voters, to enable a proper probe.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India posted clips from the Congress leader’s press conference on X (formerly Twitter), labelling them “misleading.” While no comprehensive clarification has been issued so far, the ECI warned that legal action might be considered if baseless claims persist.
🔹 Congress Remains Defiant
Despite official denials, Congress continues to stand by its charges. Gandhi reiterated that denial of machine-readable rolls was intentional, and that his team’s manual cross-verification had produced “seven feet worth” of documented evidence.
He further insisted that the issue went beyond politics, alleging that systematic voter duplication is compromising the integrity of India’s electoral process.
