Rahul Gandhi Alleges EC-BJP Nexus in Maharashtra Election Irregularities

Rahul Gandhi ’s statements highlight growing tensions between opposition parties and the Election Commission, especially regarding election transparency and fairness. As these allegations gain traction, pressure is mounting on the EC to clarify its role and processes during the Maharashtra elections.

This incident brings to light the urgent need for election process reforms, improved transparency, and stronger accountability mechanisms to uphold the world’s largest democracy.

Rahul Gandhi Accuses Election Commission of Collusion with BJP in Maharashtra Polls

In a serious political development, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) collaborated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to influence the outcome of the Maharashtra elections. His accusations include tampering with voter registration data, suppressing surveillance footage, and resisting transparency in the electoral process.

Sudden Surge in Voter Numbers Raises Red Flags

Rahul Gandhi pointed to an unusually large spike in voter registrations in Maharashtra within a short span of five months, claiming that over one crore new voters were added between the state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. He argued that such a significant rise in registered voters in a limited timeframe lacks explanation and casts doubt on the integrity of the electoral process.

“More voters were added in five months than in the previous five years. This raised our suspicion,” Gandhi said in a public statement.

Mysterious Voting Surge After 5:30 PM

Adding to the controversy, Gandhi questioned the unexpected increase in voter turnout after 5:30 PM on polling day. He stated that, according to ground reports from Congress workers and allies, there was no visible large-scale voter activity in polling booths during that time.

“Our workers present at polling stations confirmed that there was no significant crowd after 5:30 PM,” he added.

Election Commission Withholding Machine-Readable Voter List

Gandhi also criticized the Election Commission for refusing to share the machine-readable voter list with opposition parties. He described this refusal as a "red flag" and emphasized that voter lists are a public asset, not a confidential document. Without access to this data, it becomes difficult for parties to verify the legitimacy of voter participation.

“Why hide the voter list if there is nothing to conceal? It’s the right of every citizen and political party to scrutinize the electoral rolls,” said Gandhi.

Concerns Over CCTV Footage Destruction

A particularly serious allegation made by Rahul Gandhi is that the Election Commission plans to destroy CCTV footage from polling day. He claims this decision is suspicious, especially in the context of the late evening voting surge, and prevents any form of independent verification of the election process.

“We were shocked to hear the EC is destroying the footage. This footage is crucial to match the reported numbers with actual polling activity,” Gandhi stated.

Claims of Electoral Manipulation

Citing these irregularities, Gandhi firmly claimed that the Maharashtra elections were stolen in favor of the BJP. He said the denial of data, unexplained voter turnout, and destruction of surveillance records prove electoral manipulation.

“Our alliance had a clear majority in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. But results do not reflect that. Something went wrong, and the data doesn’t add up,” he alleged.

Opposition Demands Accountability

The Congress party, along with its allies, is now demanding full transparency from the Election Commission. They are calling for:

• Public access to machine-readable voter lists
  
  
• Preservation of polling day CCTV footage
  
  
• An independent investigation into the voting patterns after 5:30 PM