Rahul Gandhi's "lady hiding in Dehradun" remark during a press conference on Tuesday sparked speculation on social media about who the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha was referring to.
Gandhi's reference came with his promise that those behind the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Exercise (SIR) and responsible for undermining the democratic process will be "brought to justice."
"...It is our commitment to you that the people who have done this, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar, the lady who's hiding right now in Dehradun, and others are going to be brought to justice...", Gandhi said, a day after the Congress held a mega rally to protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
As Rahul Gandhi did not explicitly name the "lady", many on social media wondered who the woman was. "Who is the lady Rahul Gandhi is referring to that is hiding in Dehradun? [sic]," one social media user asked.
Several netizens named an Election Commission officer Seema Khanna. However, there's no confirmation that she is the person referenced in Gandhi's address.
Who is Seema Khanna, and why is she being discussed on social media?
Seema Khanna is the Director General of the IT department in the Election Commission of India. According to reports, Khanna oversees the Election Commission's digital and technology systems. She joined the poll panel in 2025 on deputation from the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
Her role came under scrutiny amid the controversy over the functioning of electoral roll software and the powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).
Seema Khanna was a recurring name in the Indian Express' investigative report on the ECI and voter deletion, which has sparked massive protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Seema Khanna's IT division and its work were among the issues with which Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi disagreed, the Indian Express investigation had revealed.
The report claimed that the two commissioners were worried the officers on the ground legally entitled to prepare the electoral roll were now saying that they were not able to do their job because the software doesn't allow them to carry out functions. It was claimed that those permissions are set by the IT division, which is headed by Seema Khanna.
The investigation revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi voiced concerns about the centralised control of the technology systems used to manage electoral rolls.
According to the IE, the Election Commissioners repeatedly raised concerns that powers legally assigned to Electoral Registration Officers, or EROs, were being increasingly centralised through the EC's IT system.
Sandhu had reportedly recorded that state-level election officials were reporting they “don’t have proper and complete access” to the ERONet portal, the digital system through which they maintain the electoral roll.
He flagged that the Election Commission’s Director General of IT Seema Khanna “doesn’t have any legal authority to restrict proper and complete access and freedom to operate, as given by law, to the statutory authorities," the Indian Express report claimed.
The objection brought ECINet and ERONet, software systems used by the Election Commission for voter list-related work, under focus. The Election Commission launched ECINet in January 2026, bringing more than 40 applications and portals under a single digital platform.
The concerns were not limited to ECINet. Records cited in the report show that questions over the IT system’s control of ERO functions had emerged while ERONet was still the principal platform.
Besides, the IT was also deemed responsible for the change in Form 6 (to add new electors). According to The Hindu, EC officials said that Form 6, in itself, was never amended and that the declaration was merely added along with it. Official reportedly claimed that the issue with the online submission of the form occurred due to changes made by the IT department.
EC officials also said that the power to add the declaration form was upheld by the Supreme Court on May 27, 2026.
Allegations against Seema Khanna
Congress leader Pawan Khera, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut and Trinamool's Mahua Moitra mentioned Seema Khanna and linked her to allegations of "vote chori" in their posts on X.
Raut alleged in an X post on September 25, “Dr. Seema Khanna, PhD. A key figure in the conspiracy to steal votes...She is the 'digital mastermind' behind vote theft. The entire voter list is under her control. All IT-related work is under her responsibility.”
Meanwhile, Moitra posted on X on October 1, saying, “A criminal. A traitor. A cyber terrorist. Illegally using software to harm the democratic fabric of India. Know the name. Seema Khanna DG IT, ECI. Recognise the face. No hole will be deep enough to hide in, Madam.”