Rahul Gandhi targets Election Commission over Delhi voter deletions

Rahul Gandhi Claims Vote Theft Over Bela Estate Voter Deletions

Rahul Gandhi took to the social media platform X to criticize the Election Commission following reports that 727 people had their names struck off electoral rolls in Delhi’s Bela Estate. According to the Leader of the Opposition, the residents have lived in the area for decades and previously voted in both the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2025 Delhi elections, despite having their homes broken down in 2023. Gandhi argued that having a house has no connection to the right to vote, pointing out that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar previously acknowledged “House Number 0” is meant for the homeless. He asserted that taking away the voting power of those who already have the least is a method of vote theft rather than a standard Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Gandhi also wrote that while CEC Gyanesh Kumar “will go,” the “system that made him do this will also have to answer.” The exclusion of the Bela Estate voters provided fresh ammunition for Gandhi, who has previously demanded the dismissal of the Chief Election Commissioner after reports surfaced that the other two poll commissioners disagreed with him on multiple occasions regarding voter list revisions and the inclusion of new voters.

Election Commission Cites Demolitions and Residency Rules

The Election Commission responded to the criticism by stating that the matter was already addressed by the concerned Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and that the dates for filing claims and objections have been extended. In a statement issued earlier, the Commission explained that names were struck off because the dwelling units where the voters previously lived were demolished in 2022-23, causing the physical and residential status of the area to undergo extensive changes. The ECI noted that under SIR instructions, Booth Level Officers (BLO) were required to make house-to-house visits to distribute enumeration forms at registered addresses. Because the dwellings were demolished, electors were no longer residing at their registered addresses, which changed their status as “Ordinary residents” under Section 20(7) of the Representation of the People Act 1970 and the ERO manual. Consequently, the BLO placed these electors in the Absentee, Shifted, Dead, or Disqualified (ASDD) list. The Delhi CEO office subsequently announced that the period for filing claims and objections for the National Capital Territory of Delhi has been extended until October 30, 2026, advising any eligible electors with missing names in the draft roll to fill out Form-6.

Outlook for the Extended Voter Registration Deadline

Eligible electors whose names are missing from the draft roll have until October 30, 2026, to file claims and objections by filling out Form-6.