Election Commission Responds to Rahul Gandhi's Allegations on Maharashtra Voting

New Delhi, April 22 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday issued a detailed rebuttal to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s claims regarding the Maharashtra Assembly elections and the supposed inconsistencies in the voters list.

This response followed Rahul Gandhi's statements made abroad, where he alleged that the polling body was compromised, using the Maharashtra elections as an example.

He criticized the ECI’s explanation for 65 lakh votes being cast in the final two hours of polling, labeling it as “physically impossible.”

In their rebuttal, the EC presented facts and figures about the Maharashtra elections to counter Rahul Gandhi’s assertions.

About 58 lakh voters cast ballots each hour

The EC reported that during the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, 6,40,87,588 electors voted from 7 am to 6 pm, averaging about 58 lakh votes per hour.

Rejecting Gandhi's claim that 65 lakh votes in the last two hours was an “impossible task,” the EC stated, “Based on these averages, nearly 116 lakh voters could have voted in the last two hours. Thus, casting 65 lakh votes in this timeframe is significantly below average voting trends.”

INC candidates and agents did not raise alarms

The EC emphasized that polling was executed smoothly at every booth, with polling agents present from respective political parties.

The commission noted, “Candidates or authorized agents from the Congress did not raise any substantial allegations regarding abnormal voting during scrutiny before the Returning Officer (RO) and the Election Observers the following day.”

Electoral rolls maintained as per established guidelines

Refuting the Congress's claims regarding electoral rolls, the EC clarified that the voters list nationwide, including in Maharashtra, was compiled according to the Representation of People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

As per legal requirements, Special Summary Revision of the Electoral Rolls occurs before elections or annually, with a final copy provided to national and state political parties, including the Indian National Congress (INC).

Only 89 appeals against 9 crore voters

The EC revealed that after finalizing the Electoral Rolls for the Maharashtra elections, only 89 appeals were filed against the 9,77,90,752 electors, with just one appeal reaching the second appellate authority.

This indicates, as per the EC, that no grievances were expressed by the INC or other political parties before the Maharashtra Assembly Elections in 2024.

The EC officials indicated that the Congress party overlooked these established facts.

The Election Commission reiterated that it had communicated these details in its response to the INC on December 24, 2024, which can be accessed on the ECI’s website, suggesting that the INC has repeatedly ignored these facts.

During the revision of electoral rolls, for 1,00,427 polling booths, 97,325 Booth Level Officers and 1,03,727 Booth Level Agents were appointed, including 27,099 by the INC. Consequently, allegations against the Maharashtra electoral rolls are an affront to the rule of law, according to the EC.

In addition to disproving the allegations, the poll body criticized the Congress party for disseminating misinformation, labeling it as a disrespectful act towards the law.

They stated, “Any misinformation spread by anyone undermines the law and tarnishes the reputation of countless representatives appointed by their own political party, demotivating countless election staff who work diligently during elections.”

Strongly reacting to Rahul’s claim of a “compromised EC,” the commission stated that such comments aim to defame the poll body, a notion it finds utterly absurd.