Maharashtra: Mysterious voter surge exceeds population, says Rahul Gandhi

In yet another shocking revelation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, backed by Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SS leaders, has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of blatant electoral malpractice in Maharashtra.

Raising serious concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, Gandhi pointed out an unprecedented surge of 39 lakh voters mysteriously added to the rolls between the Lok Sabha polls and state assembly elections — a number equal to the entire voter population of Himachal Pradesh.

At a joint press conference in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi, flanked by Supriya Sule of the NCP – Sharadchandra Pawar and Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena (UBT), lambasted the ECI for failing to provide a transparent explanation.

"In the five years between the 2019 assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, only 32 lakh voters were added. But shockingly, in just five months between the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, 39 lakh new names appeared in the voter list. Who are these people? Where did they come from?" Gandhi questioned.

Indeed, Gandhi pointed out, the total number of voters according to the ECI appears to exceed the total adult population of Maharashtra per the government’s own accounts. How is this possible?

Moreover, Gandhi asserted that the addition of these voters overwhelmingly benefited the BJP, while Opposition parties retained their previous vote share.

"The BJP has clearly engineered this process to tilt the elections in its favour. This is a blatant attempt to hijack democracy," he said, calling for the ECI to release detailed voter lists for both polls.

A constitutional crisis and the role of the judiciary

Warning of the larger implications of such manipulation, Gandhi said, "We are witnessing the systematic destruction of the Constitution. But we are in the business of protecting it."

He further hinted at approaching the judiciary if the ECI fails to provide clarity.

The refusal of the ECI to immediately release voter lists has only fuelled the suspicions of critics. "If the Election Commission has nothing to hide, why isn’t it making the lists public? The only logical conclusion is that something is seriously wrong," Gandhi stated.

When asked whether the Congress was denied the voters’ list prior to the polls, he replied, "We want a centralised and final list related to the Maharashtra elections, on which voting has taken place in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. The Election Commission can give us this list immediately, but it is not doing so."

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut echoed Gandhi’s sentiments, warning, "If the Election Commission is still alive and not entirely subservient to the government, it must answer these serious questions. Otherwise, it will confirm that it has become a mere puppet of the BJP."

Election Commission’s vague defence

Reacting to these explosive allegations, the ECI released a carefully worded statement — minutes before the presser, apparently, on X — claiming that it considers political parties as ‘priority stakeholders’ and promising to respond with a ‘full factual and procedural matrix’.

However, this vague assurance does little to address the core issue: How could such a steep increase in the voter list take place within just five months and why does it overwhelmingly favour the BJP?

Also, as Gandhi pointed out, even more concerning than the additions are the seemingly uncountable deletions that no one has a list of.

A grim future for Indian democracy?

The pattern of voter roll manipulation adds to growing fears that India's electoral process is being systematically compromised under the BJP rule.

With opposition leaders facing legal harassment, dissenting voices being silenced and now massive voter list tampering having surfaced, it is clear that democracy in India is under siege.

Rahul Gandhi and the opposition have vowed to keep fighting, but whether the ECI will act independently or continue its servitude to the ruling regime remains to be seen. The battle for democracy is far from over, and Maharashtra may just be the tip of the iceberg, believe political watchers.

After all, similar noises have been heard out of Madhya Pradesh too...