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Gandhi had alleged that about 70 lakh voters — equivalent to Himachal Pradesh’s population — were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state elections, benefiting BJP
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha. Image/Sansad TV
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged in Parliament on Monday that about 70 lakh voters — equivalent to Himachal Pradesh’s population — were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state elections, and demanded the Election Commission (EC) furnish data to opposition parties in the state.
Raising questions over the integrity of the polls held in November 2024 in which the BJP-led Mahayuti won a massive mandate, Gandhi also claimed that in a building in Shirdi, about 7,000 new voters were added after the Lok Sabha polls. He said the new voters have been added mostly in constituencies where the BJP eventually won.
However, data from the EC accessed by Indian Express shows that 40.81 lakh electors were added between the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly polls, while 1.22 crore electors were added from 2019 to 2024.
Gandhi’s allegation about Shirdi seems to be in line with a similar complaint filed by the local Congress committee before the finalisation of the electoral roll in August 2024. However, according to Indian Express, Pankaj Londhe, president of Rahata tehsil Congress committee, had complained about bogus voters being registered from “specific areas of Shirdi” instead of one building address.
In his letter to EC, Londhe had said: “It has come to our attention that newly registered voters are not the residents of Shirdi. Therefore we request you to not include the names of these bogus voters in the final list and we take strong objection to any such act. These voters are outsiders and students of a medical college. This registration has taken place in specific areas of Shirdi. Many of these voters are already registered in their original constituencies.”
This is not the first time the Congress has raised the issue of dubious voters. Six days after the Maharashtra assembly election results were announced, the party — in a letter to the EC — alleged that there had been a “shocking” 13 per cent increase in electors in the state since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In its response a month later, the poll body said the number of electors added between the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Maharashtra was 48,81,620, while 8,00,391 electors were deleted, leading to the net addition of 40,81,229 electors. The EC also noted that since those who are 18 years or above as on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each year are eligible to enrol, 8,72,094 electors of the 18-19 age group and 17,74,514 electors of the 20-29 years age group were added, the IE report said.
“Thus, 26,46,608 young electors falling in the age group of 18-29 were added out of total addition of 40,81,229 electors during the period. This is a welcome trend of participation of youth, the future of our democracy. Thus, the additions made during the period in a large state like Maharashtra have no visible abnormal trend,” the EC had said in its rebuttal of December last year.
Gandhi’s allegations have triggered a fresh war of words in the state, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis slamming his on X.
“Introspect instead of insulting Maharashtra! You have insulted the people of Maharashtra, the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, BharatRatna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule and Veer Savarkar. You have questioned the democratic mandate given by the people of Maharashtra to the NDA just because your party was vanquished,” he said.
“Instead of introspection, you are indulging in slander. The people of Maharashtra won’t forgive you for this. Apologise Mr. Rahul Gandhi !” the chief minister added.
