Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu had, back in 2019, alleged large-scale manipulation of voter lists in the state — an accusation that strikingly mirrors Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent charge against the Election Commission.

At that time, Naidu accused the poll body of deliberately deleting the names of lakhs of voters believed to be supporters of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He claimed that the systematic removal of names was aimed at weakening his party’s prospects in the elections, and demanded urgent corrective action. His complaints led to a heated political debate, with opposition parties questioning the fairness of the electoral process.

Rahul Gandhi, in his latest remarks, has accused the Election Commission of siding with the BJP by facilitating manipulation of voter rolls. He alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, was complicit in attempts to disenfranchise sections of voters opposed to the ruling party. The poll panel, however, has firmly rejected Gandhi’s claims, calling them “baseless and misleading.”

The parallel between the two episodes highlights how concerns over voter list integrity have persisted across different states and political contexts. While Naidu’s allegations in 2019 were rooted in Andhra Pradesh politics, Gandhi’s charge has national implications, targeting the credibility of the Election Commission itself.

With the general elections approaching, these recurring allegations are once again putting the spotlight on the transparency of the electoral process and the trust voters place in India’s democratic institutions.