“There are discrepancies…”: Rahul Gandhi Slams Election Commission of India, Questions Voter Surge in Maharashtra ahead of State Assembly Elections

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday hit out at the Election Commission of India, alleging an increase in voter registrations in Maharashtra, within a period of five months after the Lok Sabha elections and before the Maharashtra Assembly elections. He urged the poll body to release the numbers of the recently conducted Maharashtra assembly election for greater transparency.

“Between the Lok Sabha elections and the Vidhan Sabha elections, the voting population of Himachal Pradesh was added to the voter rolls of Maharashtra. The difference between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections shows that almost 70 lakhs new voters were added in that period,” alleged Rahul Gandhi. “Most importantly, in Maharashtra, more voters were added in five months than in the last five years after the Lok Sabha elections,” he added.

He further alleged irregularities in voter registrations, stating, “There is one building in Shirdi where 7,000 new voters were added. Sir, I am not making any allegations, but there is something problematic here. I am just pointing it out,” asserted the Rae Bareily MP.

“We are not making any allegations. We have requested the Election Commission of India to provide us with the names, addresses, and polling stations of the voters from both the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections. Interestingly, most of the new voters are in constituencies where the BJP won. I’m saying on the floor of the House that the ECI should provide this data to Congress, Shiv Sena, and NCP so we can see where voters were added or removed,” Gandhi stated.

The Maharashtra Assembly election results gave a strong mandate to the Mahayuti government, but the opposition has continuously raised concerns about EVMs following the outcome.