Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who is attacking the Election Commission across the country over the election rigging, once again targeted the Election Commission and tried to prove that the Election Commission tried to harm his party by removing the names of Congress voters in Aland assembly elections in Karnataka. He also alleged that the Election Commission’s system was hacked and many people were removed from the voter list through a software. The Karnataka CID sought cooperation from the Election Commission in the investigation, but the Commission did not respond.
Let us understand what is the process of removing/removing someone from the voter list and can this system be hacked? When can the name be removed from the voter list? A person’s name is removed from the voter list only when he dies, he goes abroad, does not live on that address, is disqualified legally to vote, or his name has accidentally joined the list twice.
How and who can remove the name from the voter list? Form 7 will have to be filled to remove the name. This form can be filled online through NVSP portal or voter helpline app. If someone does not want to fill online, he can print the form and submit the Election Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Registration Officer (AERO).
How to check the name before removing the name: After receiving the form, booth level officers (BLOs) go home to check. If the matter is of death, information is collected from family or neighbors. If the matter is of transfer, it is also ensured that the person no longer lives there.
Information and answer opportunity: Before removing the name, the Election Officer sends a notice to the concerned voter or family asking why the name should not be removed. If a person wants to present his side, he is given a chance.
How the final decision to remove the name of the voter is taken: After all investigations and hearing the answer, the Election Officer issues an order. If the reason is found correct, the name is removed. If the cause is found wrong, the name remains in the list.
Even after the name is removed from the voter list, the appeal has the right – if someone’s name is wrongly removed, he can appeal within 15 days. This appeal is filed before the District Election Officer (DEO) or the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). The High Court can also be moved if required.
Is it possible to remove votes using external software?
Security and certification – Each application on the NVSP portal requires procedures such as mobile OTP, email verification or Aadhaar linking. No external software can cross these safety layers.
Legal Liability – The Election Commission only considers its official website and applications (NVSP, Voter Helpline, CEO State Website) valid. The data recorded from any external device will not be considered valid.
Captcha and Data Security – The NVSP portal features Captcha verification and data encryption. These systems are designed for protection from bots or auto-fila software.
The Election Commission said that no outsider can cut the vote.
The Election Commission itself has made facts and information about Rahul Gandhi’s allegations. In the first line of its tweet, the Commission said that no normal person can cut the name of a voter, as Rahul Gandhi is saying. The example he gave of the Aland assembly constituency, during the 2023 elections, there were some similar efforts, for which the Election Commission itself had filed an FIR. And the most interesting thing is that in 2018, the BJP won the Aland assembly constituency, but lost to the Congress in 2023.
If the case of cutting the names of voters in Aland assembly constituency is so clear, then why did the Election Commission not pay attention to the concerns of Karnataka CID? Rahul Gandhi is saying that the Karnataka CID has written a letter to the Election Commission in the Aland case demanding that he be informed about the IP address of the computer used to remove the name and the mobile numbers on which OTPs were sent to remove the name.
During a press conference, Rahul Gandhi shared the statements of some residents of Aland assembly constituency, who said that their names were misused and the names of voters were removed. Does the Election Commission believe that these people are lying? However, Rahul Gandhi’s claim that the removed names are Congress voters, unfounded, because unlike America, voters in India are not registered in the name of any party.
