Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, along with Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, on Friday alleged large-scale discrepancies in Maharashtra’s voter list ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing a joint press conference in the national capital, Gandhi claimed that opposition parties had discovered “many irregularities” after scrutinizing voter data.
Rahul Gandhi raises questions on sudden increase in voters
Rahul Gandhi highlighted that while 32 lakh voters were added in Maharashtra over five years between the 2019 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, an unprecedented 39 lakh voters were included in just five months after the general elections.
"The question is, who are these 39 lakh voters? This number is equivalent to the entire voting population of Himachal Pradesh. Why does Maharashtra suddenly have more voters than its actual electorate? Where did these voters come from?" Gandhi questioned.
The Congress leader further accused the Election Commission (EC) of ignoring repeated requests for an investigation. “We need the voter list—names and addresses of the voters from both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. We want to understand who these new additions are,” he said.
Allegations of voter deletions and transfers
Gandhi also alleged that many voters, particularly from Dalit, tribal, and minority communities, had been either removed from the voter list or reassigned to different polling booths.
"Many voters have been deleted or transferred to other booths. The majority of these voters belong to Dalit, tribal, and minority communities. Despite repeated requests, the Election Commission has not responded," he added.
Sanjay Raut: Election Commission must answer Rahul Gandhi's questions
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut strongly criticised the Election Commission, alleging that it was working under government pressure.
"If the Election Commission has any conscience left, it must answer Rahul Gandhi’s questions and release the voter list. These 39 lakh voters will now be moved to Bihar, then to Uttar Pradesh, and will keep circulating. If we want to keep democracy alive, this issue must be addressed. The government has buried the Election Commission under a shroud," Raut alleged.
Supriya Sule demands re-election on ballot paper
NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule called for re-elections using ballot papers, even in constituencies where the opposition had won, citing confusion over party symbols.
"We want re-elections on the ballot paper in constituencies where we lost due to symbol confusion. There are 11 seats where we lost for this reason, and even the ruling party has acknowledged it. We made multiple requests to change our party symbol from ‘Tutari,’ but they were ignored. All we ask is for the Election Commission to be fair," Sule said.
Opposition seeks transparency as EC remains silent
As the opposition demands the voter list for verification, the Election Commission has yet to provide a detailed response. With allegations of large-scale voter manipulation and suppression, the controversy is expected to escalate as Maharashtra heads toward the assembly elections.
Election Commission and CM Fadnavis respond
Following Gandhi’s allegations, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “ECI considers political parties as priority stakeholders, with voters being the prime focus. The Commission deeply values views, suggestions, and questions from political parties. A written response with full factual and procedural details, uniformly applied across the country, will be provided.”
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Gandhi’s claims, calling them a diversion tactic.
"The Election Commission has already responded categorically. Rahul Gandhi is creating a cover fire because he knows that after the February 8 Delhi election results, his party will be irrelevant in the capital. Instead of introspecting his defeat, he continues to console himself with lies. If this continues, Congress has no chance of revival," Fadnavis remarked.
With the Maharashtra Assembly elections approaching, the controversy over the voter list is likely to escalate, setting the stage for a heated political battle in the state.