The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), which funds the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), has issued a stern warning to the New Delhi-based think tank after its co-director Sanjay Kumar deleted a social media post that fuelled the Congress party’s claims of vote theft in Maharashtra.
Kumar, a psephologist and Lokniti-CSDS co-director, had shared data on two Maharashtra constituencies suggesting abnormal voter spikes between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections of 2024.
The post, now deleted, was seized upon by Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, to allege electoral manipulation by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to benefit the BJP.
The ICSSR accused CSDS of attempting to undermine the ECI and violating funding norms. It said it would be issuing a show-cause notice to the institute.
“It has come to the notice of ICSSR that an individual holding a responsible position at CSDS, an ICSSR-funded research institute, has made media statements that had to be retracted subsequently citing glitches in data analysis regarding elections in Maharashtra,” the council posted on X.
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“ICSSR takes serious cognisance of the data manipulation by CSDS and its attempt to create a narrative with the intention of undermining the sanctity of the Election Commission of India. This is a gross violation of the Grant-in-Aid rules of ICSSR, and ICSSR shall issue a Show Cause Notice to the Institute,” it added.
The controversy centres on Kumar’s claim of significant increases in voter numbers in Nashik West and Hingna. He reported spikes of 47 percent and 43 percent respectively, which Congress amplified to support its “vote chori” (vote theft) charge. Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also alleged collusion between the BJP and the ECI.
Kumar later apologised and deleted the post, admitting to a “data misreading” error. But the retraction came too late, as the timing of his post raised further questions.
Screenshots showed his comments surfaced on August 17, shortly after Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar dismissed allegations of “vote chori” at a press conference.
The BJP, pointing to the deletion, accused Kumar of deliberate bias. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya described the post as “confirmation bias” rather than objective analysis and demanded that Rahul Gandhi apologise.
Several legal experts have also called for action, warning that such claims could damage public confidence in the ECI.
For CSDS, the issue has not ended with the deletion. Its primary funder, ICSSR, has signalled that it will be seeking answers, as the ghost of the deleted post continues to haunt the institute amid a widening political storm.
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