Former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami has said that allegations of a cover-up in the alleged voter roll manipulation case in Karnataka are misplaced, asserting that it was the Election Commission itself that initiated the investigation. His remarks come amid renewed accusations from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has claimed that the EC protected those involved in illegal voter deletions and additions
In an exclusive interview with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai, Gopalaswami clarified that the Election Commission’s own officials in Karnataka first identified and reported the issue back in 2023, which was subsequently handed over to the state’s CID.
“The case was initiated by Election Commission officials in Karnataka. It was not brought in by some outside party. The information was shared with the CID early on,” Gopalaswami said.
Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the CID has written to the Election Commission 18 times seeking further information but has received no cooperation. Gopalaswami refuted this, stating that the Commission responded to the original request and that the current demand for more information has only come up recently due to a change in the Investigating Officer.
“Let’s not focus on the number of letters. The first IO [Inquiry Officer] received what was needed. Now that there’s a new IO, he’s asking for different information, which the EC will provide. There’s no reason for the Commission to withhold anything,” he added.
He also emphasised that the irregularities came to light through the Commission’s own field verification process, a required step before any voter roll changes are approved.
“A Booth Level Officer noticed an incorrect deletion and took the initiative to investigate further. That’s how the pattern was detected. It shows the system worked, not failed,” he said.
To prevent such misuse in the future, the Election Commission has implemented technical safeguards, including limiting the number of online requests from a single IP address.
On the issue of mass deletions in Karnataka’s Alland Assembly constituency, Gopalaswami acknowledged that some applications were fraudulently filed, but reiterated that the matter is already under investigation.
“My information is that arrests have been made. The probe is ongoing. There’s no indication that the Election Commission is obstructing any part of it,” he said.
Responding to calls for a wider investigation into possible nationwide manipulation, Gopalaswami said such concerns are speculative. He pointed out that systemic abuse would not go undetected due to the mandatory field verification process.
“If this had happened elsewhere, it would have surfaced. Any deletion or inclusion in the voter list requires ground-level confirmation. That process prevents large-scale manipulation,” he explained.
Gopalaswami also defended the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which opposition parties have criticized as an attempt to disenfranchise voters ahead of state elections.
“This isn’t the first time such a revision is being done. Similar clean-ups were carried out before the 2007 UP and 2008 Karnataka elections. The objective is to ensure the rolls are accurate, not to target any group,” he said.
He admitted that some errors are inevitable, including cases where living voters are mistakenly marked as deceased, but argued that the scale of such errors is small compared to the total numbers being reviewed.
“Mistakes will happen, but not at the level being suggested. If someone hasn’t returned the verification form or if they’ve moved, that’s a reasonable basis for updating the roll. It’s not deliberate disenfranchisement,” he said.
On the broader political fallout, Gopalaswami warned that the growing personal acrimony between political leaders and the Election Commission risks undermining institutional credibility.
“If there were genuine concerns, a meeting could have been requested. No party has ever been turned away by the Election Commission. Turning it into a public spectacle only serves to damage trust in the system,” he said.
When asked directly whether he believed the EC had anything to hide, Gopalaswami was unequivocal.
“The investigation is underway. It was initiated by the EC itself. They’ve already cooperated, and they will continue to. There is no cover-up,” he said.
As political rhetoric intensifies ahead of upcoming state polls, Gopalaswami’s remarks highlight the complexities of maintaining electoral integrity in India and defend the EC’s handling of an issue that has become a flashpoint in the national debate.
