Rahul Gandhi alleged that about 70 lakh voters, equivalent to Himachal Pradesh's population, were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state elections
Rahul Gandhi. Pic/PTI
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the Election Commission should give the data of Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 to Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP); so that the parties can see where voters were added, the PTI reported.
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Rahul Gandhi alleged that more voters were added in Maharashtra in five months after the Lok Sabha polls than in five years before that.
He alleged that about 70 lakh voters, equivalent to Himachal Pradesh's population, were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state elections, and demanded the Election Commission furnish data to opposition parties in the state, according to the PTI.
Speaking to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, Gandhi raised several questions over the integrity of the Maharashtra polls held in November last year in which the BJP-led Mahayuti won a massive mandate, and said he was confident the EC would not provide the details sought by the opposition parties.
"Now, I want to bring to the notice of this House some data about Maharashtra polls. Between the Lok Sabha polls, which the INDIA bloc won, and the assembly elections, the number equivalent to the population of Himachal was added to the voting rolls of Maharashtra," Gandhi told the House, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance, as per the PTI.
Citing an example, he claimed that in a building in Shirdi, about 7,000 new voters were added after the Lok Sabha polls.
"I am not making an allegation, I am only saying that there is something problematic that the population equivalent to that of Himachal was added in Maharashtra through magic after the Lok Sabha polls," Rahul Gandhi said, the news agency reported.
"We have requested the Election commission repeatedly that we are not making an allegation, 'give us the Lok Sabha voters' list and that of the Vidhan Sabha...we are saying to the EC that 'please give us names and addresses of voters of all booths from the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly elections', so we can calculate who these voters are," he said, the PTI reported.
He said the new voters have been added mostly in constituencies where the BJP eventually won.
"I am still not making an allegation. I am saying on the floor of the House that the EC has to give the data of Maharashtra elections to the Congress, Shiv Sen (UBT) and NCP (SC)," Rahul Gandhi said, adding that the opposition will get to see exactly where these voters have been added and who has been subtracted.
He said the Election Commissioner used to be chosen by a committee comprising the prime minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the chief justice but the chief Justice was removed from the panel by the government.
(with PTI inputs)
