Rahul Gandhi Alleges Electoral Irregularities in Maharashtra Polls, Questions Election Commission

New Delhi, February 7, 2025 – Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has raised serious concerns over alleged electoral irregularities in the Maharashtra elections, questioning the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the unusually high number of new voter registrations in the state. He demanded that the poll panel make public the voter lists for both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections to ensure transparency.

Key Allegations

Addressing the media in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said:
“We studied the voter list carefully and found several anomalies. The number of registered voters in Maharashtra’s Vidhan Sabha elections exceeded the state’s adult population, according to Union Health Ministry data. We demand that the EC release the full voter lists of both elections.”

He raised the following key questions for the Election Commission:

• Why did the EC add more voters in Maharashtra in 5 months than it did in 5 years?
• Why were there more registered voters in the 2024 Vidhan Sabha elections than Maharashtra’s entire adult population?

Discrepancies in Vote Count

Gandhi alleged that the vote share for Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT)—which together form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—remained unchanged between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls. However, he pointed out a significant jump in BJP’s vote count, stating:

• BJP received 1.19 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha polls but 1.75 lakh votes in the Vidhan Sabha elections.
• Most of the 35,000 newly registered voters reportedly voted for the BJP.

He cited the Kamthi constituency as an example, where BJP’s margin of victory closely matched the number of newly added voters.

Concerns Over Voter Deletions and Transfers

Rahul Gandhi also questioned the deletion and transfer of voters, claiming that:

• Several voters were removed from lists without explanation.
• SC/ST voters were disproportionately transferred from one booth to another, which he suggested could be a form of voter suppression.

Call for Transparency

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi reiterated his stance, stating:
“The only reason the Election Commission has not responded is that there was some wrongdoing in the election process.”

During a previous speech in the Lok Sabha, he had expressed doubts about the 70 lakh new voters added to Maharashtra’s rolls between elections, comparing it to the entire population of Himachal Pradesh. He further cited an example from Shirdi, where over 7,000 voters were added to a single building.

Maharashtra Election Results

In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory, winning 235 out of 288 seats. The BJP alone won 132 seats, significantly weakening the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which comprises Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT).

With the BJP’s sweeping victory, Gandhi’s allegations could escalate into a larger political controversy, putting pressure on the Election Commission to clarify its voter registration and election processes.