Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent claims of voter list irregularities, particularly in a Maharashtra assembly segment, have sparked a major political dispute. Opposition parties are now demanding Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ resignation following these allegations. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) stated that Mr. Gandhi’s accusations cast doubt on the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) credibility and called for a thorough, independent investigation. The Congress party, accusing the ECI of hypocrisy, asserted that CM Fadnavis must step down, arguing that he forfeited his moral authority after Mr. Gandhi revealed alleged ‘vote theft’ in Chandrapur district’s Rajura assembly constituency.
Escalating his ‘vote theft’ claims, Mr. Gandhi publicly accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of safeguarding individuals who undermine democracy. He presented data from a Karnataka assembly constituency, suggesting a deliberate removal of Congress supporters’ votes before elections. He further highlighted the Rajura seat, alleging that voters were illicitly added to the rolls via automated software. Clyde Crasto, spokesperson for the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), emphasized the gravity of Mr. Gandhi’s allegations regarding widespread deletions from electoral rolls, stating they necessitate an independent investigation.
In a statement on X, Crasto explained that the Congress MP had shown how voter names were being removed using questionable methods, thereby questioning the ECI’s integrity. He posed critical questions: “How did these individuals gain access to voter ID accounts to delete names? How could the ECI’s portal be compromised so easily? Or is there collusion within the ECI itself? These crucial questions demand answers from both the Election Commission and the central government.” He added that these allegations are intensifying daily, yet the ECI seems to lack satisfactory responses. “The ECI must conduct an independent inquiry and disclose the full truth and facts to the Indian populace,” he urged.
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Harshal Pradhan praised Mr. Gandhi for “excellently exposing the true nature of the BJP,” adding that “the BJP is clearly unnerved by Rahul Gandhi’s new, evidence-backed accusations.” At a Thane press conference, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged that 6,850 votes were tampered with in the Rajura assembly constituency. He noted that even the state police, operating under CM Fadnavis’ Home Ministry, had filed an FIR regarding the issue. “Rahul Gandhi has once again revealed how democracy is being undermined in Maharashtra. The documented theft of over 6,000 votes in Rajura, now corroborated by an FIR filed by CM Fadnavis’ own police, clearly demonstrates that the Mahayuti alliance has no moral mandate to govern,” he declared. He further asserted, “The BJP seized power with the ECI’s assistance through vote manipulation. CM Fadnavis must acknowledge this reality and resign immediately.” Sapkal criticized the ECI for its perceived double standards and accused CEC Gyanesh Kumar of speaking like a partisan political figure.
Countering these claims, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale dismissed Mr. Gandhi’s allegations as “groundless,” pointing out that voter omissions from lists also occurred during the previous Congress administration. Speaking to PTI Videos, the RPI (A) chief added that Mr. Gandhi frequently presents inconsistent arguments, sometimes asserting voter additions and at other times claiming voter deletions. He reiterated that voter names often disappear from electoral rolls, a problem that existed even under Congress rule, but insisted it “did not arise during the current government.” Both the ruling BJP and NCP also vehemently criticized Mr. Gandhi’s stance.
State BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye sarcastically labeled the Congress MP the “king of ‘vote theft’,” demanding he apologize to the Indian public for repeatedly making “unsubstantiated claims” about the electoral process. “Mere allegations prove nothing; one must engage in a legal battle within the constitutional framework… Mr. Gandhi should pursue legal avenues rather than merely holding press conferences,” the BJP official advised. Upadhye further alleged that in Maharashtra, numerous individuals used former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s Karad residence as their address to procure voter ID cards. He highlighted that when Bihar’s draft electoral rolls were published on August 1, the ECI provided a week for objections. “If voter deletions were occurring, the Congress could have raised concerns then, but no official objection was lodged by the party. Between August 1 and 8, not a single political party that opposed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) filed any complaint. How, then, can they now claim the voter list was rigged? Their aim is to sow chaos and instability across the nation,” he asserted.
Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Maharashtra president of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, dismissed Mr. Gandhi’s ‘vote theft’ allegations as “childish,” stating that voters are savvy enough to see through the narrative propagated by the Congress leader and the opposition INDIA bloc. Speaking from Nagpur, he suggested that the Congress was making these accusations because it couldn’t come to terms with its “massive defeat” in the November 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections. “While Rahul Gandhi holds the position of Leader of Opposition, he lacks understanding of the booth-level electoral process, and his statements are quite immature,” Tatkare remarked. “Their ‘vote theft’ allegations stem from their electoral defeat. However, voters are discerning enough to comprehend the narrative being pushed by the INDIA bloc and Rahul Gandhi,” Mr. Tatkare concluded.