Maharashtra CEO rejects 2024 election vote-count mismatch claims as 'misleading'
Synopsis
Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer has gone on record to call a viral Reporters' Collective report on vote-count mismatches in 51 seats 'blatantly false' — backing the rebuttal with constituency-level ECI data showing the alleged discrepancies are simply the gap between registered electors and actual voters, a routine electoral figure that was reportedly misread as evidence of rigging.
Key Takeaways
Maharashtra's CEO on 11 November rejected Reporters' Collective claims of vote-count mismatches in 51 seats across Maharashtra, Haryana, and J&K as 'misleading.' The CEO clarified that votes polled on election day are recorded in Form 17 , shared with candidate polling agents, and reconciled with EVM tallies at the time of counting.
At Beed , the alleged discrepancy of 1,45,256 fewer votes counted was identified as the difference between total electors ( 3,84,885 ) and votes polled ( 2,42,084 ).
At Mumbai North , the report's figure of 18.11 lakh votes polled was actually the total number of registered electors , not votes cast.
No complaints of polling figure discrepancies were received from any candidate or party, according to the CEO .
The ECI has separately offered a fresh enrolment opportunity to Maharashtra voters dropped under ASDD criteria in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) .
Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Wednesday, 11 November firmly rejected claims by the Reporters' Collective that votes cast in 51 assembly seats across Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir in the 2024 elections do not match the votes counted, calling the allegations 'misleading' and 'factually incorrect.'
The rebuttal came via a post on X, marking one of the most direct official responses to the controversy that has circulated widely since the Reporters' Collective published its findings.
What the Reporters' Collective Claimed
The Reporters' Collective had alleged that internal records of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the 2024 elections show discrepancies between votes cast and votes counted across 51 seats in three states and union territories. The report drew significant attention, raising questions about the integrity of the electoral process.
How the CEO Responded
The Maharashtra CEO clarified that actual figures of votes polled on election day are shared with polling agents of every candidate in Form 17, and these figures are reconciled with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tallies at the time of counting. The officer also noted that no complaints regarding any difference in polling figures had been received from any candidate or party in connection with the disputed seats.
The CEO further stated that the Reporters' Collective could have directly contacted the election authority for clarification before publishing its report.
Constituency-Level Figures Cited
Citing index cards published on the ECI website, the CEO offered detailed constituency-level breakdowns to counter the claims:
At Beed Assembly Constituency, total electors stood at 3,84,885. Of these, 2,38,845 votes were polled via EVMs, and 2,42,084 were the total votes polled including postal votes. The CEO called the claim that 1,45,256 fewer votes were counted 'blatantly false,' explaining that the figure actually represents the difference between total electors and total votes polled — a standard electoral statistic, not a discrepancy.
At Dahanu Assembly Constituency, total electors were 3,01,257. EVM votes polled were 2,20,919, with 2,21,818 total votes including postal ballots. The claim that 80,320 fewer votes were counted was similarly attributed to a confusion between electors and voters.
For Mumbai North Parliamentary Constituency, out of 18,12,115 total electors, 10,33,267 votes were polled at EVMs and 10,36,496 were the total votes polled including postal votes. The CEO pointed out that the report had incorrectly cited 18.11 lakh as the total votes polled — a figure that actually represents the total number of registered electors, not votes cast.
Fresh Opportunity for Dropped Voters
Separately, the ECI announced a significant measure under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative, providing a fresh opportunity to voters in Maharashtra whose names could not be included in the draft electoral rolls due to classification under the ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate) criteria, despite enumeration forms having been issued during house-to-house visits. This move is expected to restore eligible voters who may have been incorrectly removed from rolls.
With assembly elections in Maharashtra drawing close attention, the official pushback against the Reporters' Collective report signals that electoral authorities are likely to remain under heightened scrutiny in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
A distinction that is fundamental to electoral arithmetic. What this episode underscores is a wider data-literacy problem: ECI's published records are granular and publicly accessible, yet remain poorly understood outside specialist circles. The absence of any formal complaint from candidates or their polling agents — who receive Form 17 data in real time — further weakens the original claim. However, election authorities would do themselves a long-term credibility favour by proactively publishing plain-language explainers of these figures rather than waiting for contested media reports to force the conversation.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Reporters' Collective claim about the 2024 elections?
The Reporters' Collective alleged that ECI internal records show votes cast do not match votes counted in 51 assembly and parliamentary seats across Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir in the 2024 elections. The report suggested this pointed to discrepancies in the electoral process.
Why did the Maharashtra CEO call the claims misleading?
The CEO said the report confused total registered electors with total votes polled — two different figures. Using ECI index card data for constituencies like Beed, Dahanu, and Mumbai North, the CEO demonstrated that the alleged 'missing votes' were simply the gap between electors on the roll and actual voter turnout, which is a standard, expected difference.
How are votes officially reconciled after polling day?
Votes polled on election day are recorded in Form 17 and shared with the polling agents of all candidates at the booth level. These figures are then matched against EVM tallies at the time of counting. No complaints of discrepancies were received from any candidate or party, according to the CEO.
What are the correct figures for Beed and Dahanu constituencies?
At Beed, total electors were 3,84,885; EVM votes polled were 2,38,845; total votes including postal ballots were 2,42,084. At Dahanu, total electors were 3,01,257; EVM votes were 2,20,919; total including postal ballots were 2,21,818. The differences the report flagged reflect voter turnout gaps, not counting errors.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) announced by the ECI?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an ECI initiative that provides eligible Maharashtra voters — whose names were dropped from draft electoral rolls under the ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate) criteria despite enumeration forms being issued — a fresh opportunity to have their names reinstated before the final rolls are published.
