{"id":6407,"date":"2025-08-19T17:29:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T17:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/19\/from-psephology-to-apology-will-election-experts-data-deletion-blunt-rahul-gandhis-attack-on-eci-politics-news\/"},"modified":"2025-08-19T17:29:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T17:29:27","slug":"from-psephology-to-apology-will-election-experts-data-deletion-blunt-rahul-gandhis-attack-on-eci-politics-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/19\/from-psephology-to-apology-will-election-experts-data-deletion-blunt-rahul-gandhis-attack-on-eci-politics-news\/","title":{"rendered":"From Psephology To Apology: Will Election Expert’s Data Deletion Blunt\u00a0Rahul Gandhi’s Attack On ECI? | Politics News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The BJP is out to portray Gandhi as having relied on Sanjay Kumar’s data, leading him to launch a nationwide campaign of alleged ‘vote theft’<\/h2>\n
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With CSDS’s Sanjay Kumar’s turnaround, Congress and Rahul Gandhi may find it tough to promote the narrative of ‘vote chori’\u00a0against India’s poll body. (Photos: PTI file + X)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

A \u201csincere apology” and the deletion<\/a> of social media posts suggesting a significant dip in the number of voters in two assembly constituencies compared to the Lok Sabha election held just months apart seem to have hit at the heart of Congress\u2019s attack on the Election Commission regarding Maharashtra.<\/p>\n

Psephologist and co-director of Lokniti-CSDS Prof Sanjay Kumar made the startling claim two days earlier. However, on Tuesday morning, he posted on X, \u201cI sincerely apologize for the tweets posted regarding Maharashtra elections. Error occurred while comparing data of 2024 LS and 2024 AS. The data in row was misread by our Data team. The tweet has since been removed. I had no intention of dispersing any form of misinformation.”<\/p>\n

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I sincerely apologize for the tweets posted regarding Maharashtra elections.Error occurred while comparing data of 2024 LS and 2024 AS. The data in row was misread by our Data team.The tweet has since been removed.I had no intention of dispersing any form of misinformation.\u2014 Sanjay Kumar (@sanjaycsds) August 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

This admission came on the heels of Rahul Gandhi\u2019s Vote Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, where the Congress leader launched a fierce attack on the Election Commission.<\/p>\n

The Bharatiya Janata Party was in no mood to let go, with BJP\u2019s IT cell chief Amit Malviya lashing out at Kumar\u2019s apology, calling him a \u201cprot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Yogendra Yadav”. Malviya posted angrily, \u201cIncidentally, when was the last time this prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Yogendra Yadav ever got anything right? In all his projections in the run-up to every single election, the BJP is supposedly losing\u2014and when the reverse happens, he turns up on TV justifying how the BJP won. Convenient.”<\/p>\n

Rahul\u2019s \u2018vote chori\u2019 campaign<\/h4>\n

Speaking at a recent Bihar rally, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, \u201cIn Maharashtra, all the opinion polls were predicting that INDIA bloc would form the government, but in the election results, the BJP-led alliance formed the government. The BJP got the votes of 1 crore new voters.” Gandhi further stated, \u201cIn the entire country, vote theft is going on. In the name of SIR, they want to add new voters and steal the votes. In Bihar, we will not allow Vote Chori.”<\/p>\n

With CSDS\u2019s Sanjay Kumar\u2019s turnaround, Congress and Rahul Gandhi may find it tough to promote the narrative of \u201cvote chori” against India\u2019s poll body. Sources indicate there was no unanimity from powerful INDIA constituents when the idea of seeking the removal of Chief Election Officer Gyanesh Kumar was floated. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress may find it harder to push it through due to Tuesday\u2019s revelation.<\/p>\n

BJP\u2019s counter<\/h4>\n

Among the issues Rahul Gandhi highlighted in the press conference were duplicate entries of individuals, dozens of voters from a small house, to addresses with \u201chouse number zero”. He used EC\u2019s constituency-level data to support his claim, which the poll body dismissed. However, if politics is about perception, BJP is out to portray Gandhi as having relied on Kumar\u2019s data, leading him to launch a nationwide campaign of alleged vote theft, which now stands deleted.<\/p>\n

In his now-deleted post on Maharashtra elections, Sanjay Kumar had claimed that in the assembly constituency Ramtek, the number of voters in 2024 was 4,66,203 in the Lok Sabha polls and 2,86,931 in the assembly polls. In his second claim, Kumar suggested that in the assembly constituency Devlali, the number of voters in the Lok Sabha was 4,56,072, and during assembly elections, it came down to 2,88,141.<\/p>\n

While both posts are deleted, Malviya used screenshots to target Rahul Gandhi, stating, \u201cThe very institution whose data Rahul Gandhi leaned on to defame the voters of Maharashtra has now admitted that its figures were wrong\u2014not just on Maharashtra, but even on SIR.”<\/p>\n

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The very institution whose data Rahul Gandhi leaned on to defame the voters of Maharashtra has now admitted that its figures were wrong \u2014 not just on Maharashtra, but even on SIR.Where does this leave Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, which brazenly targeted the Election\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/4o99YDvsMx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Over the weekend, holding a press conference to respond to Rahul Gandhi\u2019s charges, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said, \u201cIf no declaration under oath is given within 7 days, claims will be considered baseless and invalid\u2026” adding that those making unsubstantiated allegations, hinting towards Gandhi, should apologise to the nation.<\/p>\n

With Sanjay Kumar\u2019s U-turn, is that an option for Gandhi?<\/p>\n

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Anindya Banerjee<\/a><\/p>\n

Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in …Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in … Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

News<\/a> politics<\/a> From Psephology To Apology: Will Election Expert’s Data Deletion Blunt\u00a0Rahul Gandhi’s Attack On ECI?<\/span><\/div>\n
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