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Two days after the Delhi Assembly election and exit poll results predicted a complete wipeout for Congress and a historic comeback for the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by NCP leader Supriya Sule, addressed a press conference focused on the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections held in November 2024. The press conference stirred controversy as Gandhi raised serious concerns about the voter registration process in Maharashtra.
Rahul Gandhi questioned the unusually high number of new voters added to the electoral rolls in just five months between the Lok Sabha elections in April 2024 and the Maharashtra Assembly polls in November 2024.
Our questions to the Election Commission on the Maharashtra elections:
– Why did EC add more voters in Maharashtra in 5 months than it did in 5 years?
– Why were there more registered voters in VS 2024 than the entire adult population of Maharashtra?
– One example among many… pic.twitter.com/K7fOWdnXmV
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 7, 2025
“We have thoroughly analyzed the voting pattern. Between the Vidhan Sabha elections in 2019 and the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, around 32 lakh new voters were added in Maharashtra. However, within just five months after that, a surprising 39 lakh new voters were registered for the Assembly elections,” Gandhi said.
He said, “We need the voter list of the Lok Sabha Election and the Vidhan Sabha Election.”
He raised several pointed questions for the Election Commission (EC):
Who are these 39 lakh new voters added in five months?
Why was the voter registration in these five months significantly higher than in the previous five years?
How did the number of registered voters in the 2024 Assembly polls exceed Maharashtra’s adult population?
Citing the Kamthi constituency as an example, Gandhi highlighted that the BJP’s margin of victory in this seat was almost equal to the number of new voters added before the polls. He demanded that the Election Commission provide the complete voter lists from both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections for scrutiny.
#WATCH | Maharashtra Election 2024 | Replying to a question by ANI, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “We need to clearly present the difference between two things. One is speculation – one can say that there were problems in the machines. The second is fact. I… pic.twitter.com/o08THl0QRw
— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2025
Congress Diverts Focus from Delhi Elections
With the Delhi Assembly results expected soon, Gandhi’s focus on Maharashtra has raised questions within political circles. Some have interpreted it as an acceptance of Congress’s likely poor performance in Delhi, while others see it as an attempt to shift the narrative.
LIVE: Joint Press Conference | Constitution Club Of India, New Delhi https://t.co/kpb1Pa1Uqh
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 7, 2025
BJP’s Landslide Victory in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra Assembly elections saw a dominant performance by the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition, which secured a resounding victory. The BJP alone won 132 of the 288 seats, marking a significant comeback for the party after its underwhelming performance in the 2024 general election.
Election Commission Responds
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, the Election Commission issued a statement promising to provide a detailed explanation. It emphasized that it views political parties as essential stakeholders and values their feedback and concerns.
ECI considers political parties,as priority stakeholders,of course the voters being the prime & deeply values views, suggestions, questions coming from political parties. Commission would respond in writing with full factual & procedural matrix uniformly adopted across the… pic.twitter.com/OwIsoIqOF9
— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2025
“The Commission will respond in writing with a comprehensive explanation of the factual and procedural matrix uniformly adopted across the country,” the EC’s statement read.
The controversy surrounding the voter roll additions has set the stage for a potential political showdown, with the Election Commission’s forthcoming response likely to draw significant attention.
