Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday raised serious concerns over alleged discrepancies in Maharashtra’s voter list during the 2024 Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference alongside Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule, Gandhi claimed that the number of registered voters in the state exceeded its adult population.
“We represent the entire opposition that fought the last election in Maharashtra. Our teams have studied the voting list, and we have found many irregularities,” Gandhi stated.
Highlighting the stark increase in voter registration, he said, “In the five years between the 2019 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, 32 lakh voters were added. However, in just five months between the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, 39 lakh voters were suddenly included. Who are these 39 lakh voters?”
#WATCH | Delhi | Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "We represent on this table - the entire opposition that fought the last election in Maharashtra. We are going to bring some information about the election. We studied the details - the voters and the voting list.… pic.twitter.com/OeDR2NeKT1
— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2025
Gandhi further compared the sudden voter surge to the total voting population of Himachal Pradesh, raising questions about electoral integrity. He also alleged that a significant number of voters, primarily from Dalit, tribal, and minority communities, were either deleted or transferred to different booths without explanation.
Despite repeated requests for clarification, Gandhi claimed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had not responded. “We have made repeated appeals to the ECI. The Leader of Opposition has raised this in Parliament, but the Commission remains silent. If there was nothing wrong, why wouldn’t they respond?” he questioned.
However, the ECI later issued a statement, assuring that a detailed written response would be provided. “The Commission considers political parties as priority stakeholders while valuing voters as the prime concern. We will respond in writing with a full factual and procedural matrix,” the poll body posted on X.
The Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, held in November, saw the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), and Ajit Pawar’s NCP—securing a landslide victory with 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) struggled, winning only 46 seats.
With serious allegations now surfacing over voter roll discrepancies, the ball is in the ECI’s court to provide transparency on the electoral process.
