വോട്ടർ പട്ടിക വിവാദം എന്താണ്? Vote Chori Explained | Rahul Gandhi Election Commission | Malayalam

0:00 We often hear that India is the largest democracy in the world and also one of the most successful democracies in the world . The most important thing that makes India a great democracy is the free and fair elections that have been held in our country for a long time. The institution that ensures that these free and fair elections are held in India is the Election Commission of India or the Election Commission of India. If we look at the important duties and responsibilities of this Election Commission of India, we can see that they ensure that all the elections in India are held correctly, do the administrative work required for this, announce the date of this election, and also control all the officers required for this, and also resolve any disputes related to this

0:45 election, and announce the results of this election on time. We can see that they have many such duties. Similarly, one of their very important responsibilities is to maintain the electoral roll or what we call the voters' list or voter list related to this election correctly . It is a very important responsibility of the Election Commission to first prepare this voter list and also to make appropriate changes to it from time to time to ensure that all eligible voters in India are able to vote. However, in the past few days, various allegations and issues related to this electoral roll or this voters list have been raised by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha of India. We have all seen these allegations in the news. It was on the 7th of August that

1:30 these allegations were made by him . However, the Election Commission of India has also responded to these allegations the other day . Today's video explains what is being said in Rahul Gandhi's allegations, what is being said in the response given by the Election Commission of India, etc. Let's get to the video. My name is Alex What I do is explain Welcome to Alex Plan So before we get into the allegations and answers, let's try to understand the most important topic of discussion here, the electoral rolls, let's try to understand how they are maintained properly and accurately. So if we look at the electoral rolls in India, they will not be the same at all times. Since

2:17 everyone can vote after reaching the age of majority, all the names of new voters should be added to this list from time to time. Similarly, the names of people who have died should be removed from this voters list. Similarly, if any person moves from one place to another, his name should be removed from the voters list of the first place and his name should be added to the voters list of the new place. So since many such changes come here, we can see that a revision of this voters list is done every time. So if we look at each of the constancy, an officer called an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) supervises such revisions. We will see. Usually, an officer at the sub-collector level works at this level. Now, we call them not only these people, but also the officers who do a very important job under them, BLOs . Booth level officers.

3:03 Add and delete names accurately, and conduct related inquiries. These BLOs do all this work. Now we will see some people who have been called BLA booth level agencies along with them . They are not government officials. Rather, we can see that they are activists of each political party. They go with these booth- level officers and make sure that all these things are done correctly . So, this is how a primary revision of the voter list is carried out. After this revision takes place, the Election Commission releases a draft list . So this draft list is not only available on their websites, but the Election Commission will also provide this list to all registered political parties. So, when this draft list comes out, if anyone, whether voters or political parties, finds that there are any problems in it,

3:50 a time frame has been given for submitting claims and objections. So you can submit all these things for that period. The Election Commission of India will release a final list only after all these issues have been resolved . If any issues are later discovered with this final list, there is also a two-tier appeal system to resolve them . If the first appeal is made to the District Collector and the matter is not resolved there, there is an opportunity to resolve the matter by filing a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of each state. So, it can be understood that this voter list is maintained accurately by resolving these problems at various levels . So Rahul Gandhi is making allegations in connection with this voters list. So let's try to understand what his allegations are . So, he is making an allegation in relation to the electoral list in an assembly constituency in Karnataka

4:36 . Now if we look at Karnataka, we will see that there are 28 Lok Sabha constituencies there. One of those constituencies is called Bangalore Central . It can be seen that there are many small assembly constituencies within this Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency, one of which is called Mahadevapura. So, if you ask why the assembly constituency called Ivari Mahadevapura was chosen, then you will see that the BJP candidate will win the 2024 Lok Sabha constituency called Bangalore Central, which includes Mahadevapura, as I mentioned earlier. He will win with a majority of about 32,700 votes. So, as I said earlier, there were many small assembly constituencies within this Lok Sabha constituency, and in most places, the Congress candidate had a majority, but the

5:22 BJP candidate from Mahadevapura got a majority of more than one lakh votes and it is because of that that he was able to win this constituency . So, they are coming forward to check the electoral list of this one constituency, saying that there is a discrepancy here . But one thing must be understood here: in this place called Mahadevapura, whether it is the Lok Sabha elections or the Assembly elections, it can be understood that from time to time, the BJP wins with a large majority. So, not only this one reason, but another reason is also being put forward here. The conspiracy called Mahadevapura came to light in 2008. At that time, there were 2.75 lakh voters here. But in 2024, it will increase to 6.6 lakh. That is an increase of 140 percent.

6:10 Why are so many voters being added here in this period, when there is only a 12 to 26 percent increase in all other areas nearby? So, it is for these reasons that they are coming forward to examine the electoral role in this constituency . So, for this reason, when they request the electoral roll from the Election Commission of India, they request the roll in digital format. Because now these documents are available in digital format. If we look at an example, if we get soft copy ID documents in PDF format, we have a lot of software and now with the help of AI, we can conduct a full analysis of it in just minutes. But the Election Commission not only does not provide a digital copy of it, but it only gives them a paper copy. So the special thing about that paper copy is that it is in a non-machine readable format or they provide it in a way that no optical character recognition is possible

6:56 . So we can only look at this document and read it . It cannot be uploaded to a computer and analyzed. The names of over one lakh voters, along with numerous forms like Form Six and Form Seven, and other election documents related to them, are all given in large sheets of paper. You may have seen them in pictures, and they are given three columns of paper about seven feet tall by the Election Commission for analysis . If we want to analyze this accurately, we can understand that a team of more than 40 people conducted tests for six months and were able to brainstorm these results. As part of this analysis, Rahul Gandhi is making various allegations. The most important thing he says is that he was able to find manipulations in

7:42 this electoral list in 1,50,000 places. He is putting forward five types of irregularities. The first of these is duplicate voters, which means that there are approximately 11,965 duplicate entries in this electoral roll. Now, if we look at an example, we can see that the name of the same person is listed in more than one booth. Similarly, it is said that the names of the people listed in these booths in Karnataka are listed in different booths in other states. It is said that this kind of multiple entries has come. Now, one of the most important laws related to elections in India is the Representation of the People Act 19. Saying 50. Well, there's an important thing that's said there: one's name can only appear in one constituency in these electoral rolls

8:28 . It says that his name can only appear in one place in that constituency . So he is raising a question about whether something has happened here that is against that law . The second allegation here is that fake addresses can be seen in 409 places . Now, if we look at the example, many people's house numbers are given as zero, or they are given as zero, or some symbols, and we can see how that is possible. Similarly, they are not able to physically verify some addresses in this voters' list. They say that there are names of people here in addresses that do not exist. So, they say that there are 409 entries like this. Now, the third thing is that in the case of 452 people, they are called bulk voters, that is, many people's names have been added to one address. Now, if we

9:14 look at the example, when they went to the address and searched, it was a one-room flat . But 80 voters are registered as living there. They are describing many different types of places here . Many media houses have conducted independent investigations in those places and have later proven that what was said is true. Then the question arises as to how this happens. The fourth discrepancy is the irregularities in the photos of 4,132 people . Many people on the electorate list do not have a correct photo against their names. Now, in some places, even if there are photos, they are so small that they cannot be seen. Now, when we apply for an elector ID card or add our name to the voter list, we are required to provide a clear, color photo measuring four and a half by three and a half centimeters

9:59 . So, when we have our electoral identity cards in a certain way, the question arises as to how people without this photo appear in the voter list. The last thing to say is the misuse of Form 6. So, if you ask what this Form Six is, Form Six is the form we fill out to add our name to the electoral roll when we go to vote for the first time. So, a lot of things have been said in this form six . We must give our name correctly, and we must also submit copies of self-attested documents to prove our address and age. If we deliberately give false information or try to forge information in the documents we provide, we will be

10:45 punished with imprisonment for one year and fine under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. This is a very proper thing to call this Form Six, but it is said that people have misused this Form Six in 33692 places, that is, they have changed their names more than once, given different photos, and used this Form Six more than once, and as a part of it, the names of such people appear in these electoral lists many times. So, by showing these five types of forgeries, approximately 1 lakh 250 fake entries have been made in the electoral rolls of this Mahadevapura Assembly Constituency. Rahul Gandhi has made a big allegation of being in a role, and not only this, but he is also making some other allegations. If we look at it now, he gives an example of this in the Maharashtra elections in relation to CCTV footage . The Election Commission says that

11:30 8 percent of the voting took place in the Maharashtra elections after 5:30 pm . But he says he has never seen such a rush at any of the booths. So, when the Election Commission of India asked for CCTV footage to verify it, in the past, the Election Commission would have kept this CCTV footage for 100 days after the election . But now it has been reduced to 45 days . They have taken a decision to destroy this CCTV footage after 45 days. So this is causing questions. It doesn't end here. While Rahul Gandhi has made such allegations, alleging that the Election Commission of India is helping the ruling party or the BJP, BJP leader Anurag Thakur is also coming forward with similar allegations.

12:19 He is making an allegation that various types of manipulations have taken place in the electoral rolls in the Wayanad constituency, which was won by the Congress . So, if we look at it from the Election Commission of India's perspective, we can see that allegations related to these riggings are coming forward not only from the opposition but also from the ruling party . So what was the response from the Election Commission when such allegations were made? When Rahul Gandhi's allegations came forward, instead of giving precise answers, they initially put forward some technical points . When Rahul Gandhi raises such issues, the Election Commission is taking a stand that if an investigation is to be conducted, they will only investigate if an affidavit and complaint under oath are submitted to them. But Rahul Gandhi is rejecting it and saying that we will not move forward with that one step . So, things progressed in that way, and about 10 days later, on August 17th, the Election

13:06 Commission called an official press conference and gave their responses to these allegations. So let's try to understand what was said in the Election Commission's response. The first thing they say is that there is now an allegation related to CCTV footage. They say that it was their firm decision to store this CCTV footage for only 45 days. Moreover, it is said that there are many privacy concerns once this CCTV footage is shared. Now, if we look at an example, the Election Commission says that every time Rahul Gandhi makes allegations regarding the electoral list, those allegations are false. Then he shows people's names and pictures in his presentation, making false accusations . So they say that this is a misuse of people's privacy . So, in such a situation, the Election Commission is raising a question: is there a possibility that if CCTV

13:52 footage is shared, the privacy of our mothers and sisters will be affected? Now, the Election Commission's next response is another question. After asking what is the result of an election, if there are any issues related to that result or the process, there is a provision to approach the Supreme Court within 45 days. So, the Election Commission is asking a question: Why is the Congress Party or Rahul Gandhi making allegations at this time, without making any allegations during that time frame to move things forward legally? Now, their next response is related to this address being a fake address. There are some allegations that house number is zero, and it is said that there are many homeless people in India, or

14:39 people who have not received a proper house number from the panchayat or municipality. The Election Commission's response is that the house number zero or this hyphen is given for people like that, or for people who don't have a house number. Now, the next answer is related to the multiple entry I mentioned earlier, where I said that a person's name appears in more than one place. But one important thing to note here is that this multiple entry only says that it exists, and there is no evidence whatsoever that these people voted in multiple places. The Election Commission says that since there is no evidence, it is not possible to say that fake voting or multiple voting took place here. Similarly, many people are working on elections in India, as well as the preparation and revision of the voters' list . Around one crore government servants are working as part of this from the government side

15:25 . This process, called an election, is being carried out with the work of a large number of people, including approximately 1 million booth-level agents from political parties, as well as approximately 2 million polling booth agents. So, when so many people are working on this process, the Election Commission is not only raising a question about whether it is possible for fraudulent voting or fake voting to take place, but it is also making allegations against these parties. Because I said earlier that the draft of the electoral roll is being published. So if there are any problems, we can move forward with that dispute. Even after the final list is published, issues within it can be resolved through the appeal process. So, if there are such problems in this electoral roll, the

16:13 Election Commission is asking a question as to whether the failure of political parties, including the Congress, to identify or resolve those problems in a timely manner is a reason for these problems, i.e., a question that places the blame on political parties . Now the next answer is related to the electoral roll in digital format that I mentioned earlier or the electoral roll in machine-readable format . The Election Commission of India says that it cannot be provided here. The reason for this, they say, is a Supreme Court judgment from 2019, which states that the Supreme Court has prohibited the provision of electoral rolls in machine-readable format. That's why they say it's impossible to provide such a document . Moreover, they are also alleging that if electoral rolls, which are digital or in machine-readable format, reach the hands of political parties, there is a possibility of various types of manipulations taking place within them . Well, these are the responses that the Election Commission of India has now given to Rahul Gandhi's allegations. Along with this, they are also saying that they will not be conducting any kind of investigation

16:59 related to this issue . As mentioned earlier, any action will be taken in this regard only if Rahul Gandhi submits an affidavit under oath . If not, they have also put forward a demand that Rahul Gandhi publicly apologize for making such misleading allegations . When such positions are taken by the Election Commission, two types of reactions can be seen. A group of people say that the Election Commission accurately identified all the issues and gave all the answers accurately . But another group of people raises some questions. So when you ask what the people opposing this are saying, many of the answers put forward by the Election Commission are not satisfactory. Moreover, they have not been able to answer many of the questions posed by Rahul Gandhi . Now, if we look at an example, the Election Commission is unable to give a precise answer regarding entries without a photo, as well as the misuse of Form Six,

17:46 or how this is happening. Similarly, even though these political parties had the opportunity to accurately identify problems and file complaints during the updating of the voter list, the Election Commission is trying to place the blame for all this on the heads of political parties, saying that these problems arose because they did not use it. This is not the responsibility of political parties, but the responsibility of the constitutional institution called the Election Commission of India . People who oppose this also put forward an accusation that they made a mistake in it. The next question is whether there are some problems in saying that it is not right to raise allegations now without using it, even though there was a window to go to the Supreme Court within 45 days of the results of this election. Why can't we question it even after 45 days when problems are discovered?

18:31 Moreover, when these types of paper-format electoral copies are provided, it is said that any argument that it is too late to raise allegations is not valid because it would take so many people and so much time to find the problems within. Also, when the Election Commission says that a person's name is listed in multiple places but there is no proof that he voted in multiple places, this CCTV footage is said to be the most important or best way to prove it . Destroy that CCTV footage within 45 days . Moreover, when asked about it, it is said that the Election Commission is diverting the question by giving emotional answers instead of giving technical answers. Another important point that goes along with all this is that the Supreme Court verdict of 2019 did not ban or prohibit the electoral roll in machine-readable format.

19:21 When asked what that verdict says, in the case of Kamal Nath vs. Election Commission of India, it was said that this electoral roll in machine-readable format or digital format is our right. When an argument was put forward that there is no such right, the Election Commission only made a reference to the fact that an electoral roll in text format was given to you. Another important question is also being raised along with all this. When Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, raised the issues related to this electoral roll, the same Election Commission, which says that it is misleading or that an affidavit should be given under oath or that an apology should be given, then a question arises as to why a leader from the ruling party does not take the same stand against him when such allegations are made. So many such cases These are the

20:07 questions that people who oppose this have put forward in relation to the Election Commission's replies. So, what is your opinion on this issue? Write it in the comment box along with your suggestions, doubts, and extra points that you know. If you think this video is good for others to watch, then definitely share this video. Until next time, come back with good videos like this. Thank you [Music]