BJP Hits Back at Congress After CSDS Expert Deletes Voter Fraud Post

Swift Summary

• On august 19, 2025, the BJP accused Congress of making “baseless” claims about ‘vote theft’ linked to voter data from Maharashtra Assembly seats and targeting the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Psephologist Sanjay Kumar shared voter data comparing two Maharashtra Assembly seats in last year’s State election to the 2024 general election but deleted his post on X on Tuesday after admitting it contained errors.
• The post cited a significant decrease in voter numbers between elections. Kumar apologized, attributing the misinformation to a misinterpretation by his Data team.
• BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia criticized CSDS (Center for the Study of Developing Societies), accusing it of providing fake data used by Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders like pawan Khera to attack the ECI.
• Kumar clarified he did not intend to spread misinformation.

!80/PTI08182025_000103B.jpg”>BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav bhatia

Indian Opinion Analysis

The episode highlights vulnerabilities in handling electoral data and its political implications. Erroneous information can ignite suspicion and damage institutional credibility-especially concerning sensitive topics like elections. the swift retraction by Sanjay Kumar underscores how critical accuracy is in public discourse around democracy. For India’s political landscape, this incident reflects intensifying scrutiny over electoral conduct but also introduces challenges related to accountability for misleading information.

Such disputes call for better frameworks to ensure transparency across institutions like CSDS or similar entities handling electoral analysis. as india’s democratic processes evolve amidst growing partisanship, fostering trust between political parties, researchers, and citizens remains paramount.

Read more: The Hindu