Rahul Gandhi cited the example of Maharashtra assembly elections, claiming there was an addition of 65 lakh voters to the voter list in two hours.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the Election Commission in India was “compromised”, saying that there was “something very wrong with the system.”
While addressing the Indian diaspora in Boston, Gandhi cited the example of Maharashtra assembly elections, claiming there was an addition of 65 lakh voters to the voter list in two hours, “which was impossible.”
“More people voted in Maharashtra than the total number of people in Maharashtra, and this is a fact… the Election Commission gave us a figure in the evening around 5:30 p.m., and in two hours around 7:30 p.m., 65 lakh voters had voted, which is physically impossible…” ANI quoted Gandhi as saying.
“It’s very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised, there is something very wrong with the system…” he further said.
EC debunks opposition charge on manipulation of electoral rolls
Earlier, the Election Commission of India said that the allegations against the electoral rolls were made without due fact.
“Hardly any first or second appeals were made under Section 24 of the Representation of People act, or correction of any entries in Electoral Rolls (Section 22) or Inclusion (Section 23) during the recent Special Summary Revision published on January 6-7 2025,” ANI quoted EC sources.
According to the EC, the Special Summary Revision (SSR) involves reviewing the voter list and unveiling a draft electoral roll.
It is often held before elections and aims to uphold a just and transparent voting process by adding newly eligible voters, including those who have reached 18 years of age or changed their constituency. It also involves the elimination of duplicate and deceased voters.
According to EC, just 89 appeals were recorded in Maharashtra. While there were 13,857,359 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in the country, only 89 appeals for changes in the electoral rolls were made.
Therefore, there is no option but to accept the Electoral Rolls published after the completion of SSR in January 2025 as undisputed by all.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
