Bengaluru: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has dismissed allegations raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the presence of fake voters in a Bengaluru constituency, stating that the individuals identified are legitimate and registered electors.

Gandhi, during a press conference earlier this week, had claimed that a family of three — one male and two females — listed in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment were bogus entries in the voter rolls. The ECI, following a preliminary inquiry, has identified the individuals as Om Prakash Bagri, Saraswati Devi Bagri, and Mala Bagri, residents of JCR Layout, Panthur, near Kadubeesanahalli.

Election Commission sources confirmed that the family’s details, including photographs and a GPS-tagged address, were verified and subsequently shared on social media. The Commission indicated that Gandhi’s claim was based on the absence of visible photographs in a section of the voter list, which does not amount to electoral fraud.

Given previous instances where Gandhi reportedly distanced himself from formal complaints, the Commission has now asked him to submit an affidavit supporting his latest claim. “Earlier, we responded in writing, but he later claimed he had not submitted any such complaint. Hence, we are insisting on a signed affidavit this time,” said a senior official.

Interestingly, Gandhi’s comments coincided with the Karnataka government’s announcement to utilise the electoral roll for the state’s proposed caste census. While the Congress government plans to use the same list for socio-economic data gathering, Gandhi, on the same day, questioned its credibility and demanded access to CCTV footage and full voter data to substantiate concerns of alleged voter manipulation.

“If you suppress this information, you're hiding a crime,” Gandhi said, intensifying his criticism of electoral transparency mechanisms.

The Election Commission had previously addressed a similar complaint made in Maharashtra in December 2024, providing a detailed reply to an advocate representing the Congress party — a communication Gandhi has claimed never took place.

The political row adds to growing tensions between the opposition and the poll panel ahead of key state and national elections.