'Lady hiding in Dehradun': Who was Rahul Gandhi referring to
What's the story
During a press conference of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi made a cryptic reference to a lady "hiding in Dehradun." This came as he continued his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of "vote theft." "It is our commitment to you that...PM Modi, Shah, Gyanesh Kumar, the lady who's hiding right now in Dehradun...are going to be brought to justice," he said.
Identity mystery
Speculation about 'Dehradun lady' and her role
The mention of this mysterious woman has sparked speculation about her identity and role in the controversy
While Gandhi did not disclose the woman's identity, political commentator Vijay Thottathil and AICC media coordinator Harmeet Kaur speculated that she could be Seema Khanna, the Election Commission's director general (IT).
Thottathil tweeted asking, "Where is Seema Khanna?" while Kaur asked if she was "hiding in Dehradun" and who was protecting her.
"What are they trying to hide?" Kaur tweeted.
Role scrutiny
Investigation raises concerns about voter record control
The speculation comes after an Express investigation revealed that two Election Commissioners had raised concerns about the centralized control of the electoral roll software, ERONet.
The software was later integrated into ECINet, giving state-level officials access to update voter records.
Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu said in an internal note that Khanna doesn't have any "legal authority to restrict complete access" to the Electoral Registration Officers.
Background check
Seema Khanna's background and election preparations
Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, EROs hold the statutory responsibility to manage electoral rolls.
This explains why Khanna's role has come under scrutiny and also opposition fire.
Khanna joined the Election Commission of India (ECI) on deputation in 2025.
She has reportedly been camping in Dehradun to oversee election preparations in Uttarakhand, which goes to polls next year.