EC Responds to Rahul Gandhi on Voter Roll Data | India News
The Election Commission (EC) has directly addressed Rahul Gandhi’s concerns regarding voter roll data in Maharashtra, clarifying access protocols. The EC stated that recognized political parties, including the INC, routinely receive electoral roll data, echoing practices from 2009 to the present. Gandhi requested specific dates for digital, machine-readable format access, which followed allegations of manipulation in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, including accusations of a rigged appointment panel and bogus voting. Gandhi accused the BJP of “match-fixing,” while the EC refuted these claims as “completely absurd.” The EC’s response followed allegations of manipulation. The finalized voter rolls are available for public download. For complete coverage of election news in India, turn to News Directory 3. Discover what’s next as the story unfolds…
Maharashtra Voter Rolls Dispute: EC Responds to Allegations
Mumbai—Maharashtra’s chief electoral officer has directed the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok sabha to access the state’s legislative assembly voter rolls online, free of charge.This comes after Rahul Gandhi requested the Election Commission (EC) specify when it would provide the voter rolls.
The EC stated it routinely shares electoral roll data with recognized political parties,including the INC,at both the draft and final stages. This practice was followed in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024. The finalized voter rolls for the 2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections are available for public download on the website.
The EC added that under Rule 33 of the Registration of Electors Rules,1960,anyone,including the INC,can obtain copies of retained electoral rolls from the District Election Officer for a fee. The CEO of maharashtra reiterated this to an INC Member of Parliament on May 22, 2025, regarding rolls already provided during revisions.
Gandhi welcomed the EC’s decision to hand over voter rolls but requested a specific date for receiving the data in a digital, machine-readable format. He also shared a media report indicating the EC had cleared the sharing of electoral roll data for Haryana and Maharashtra from 2009 to 2024, following assurances to the Delhi High Court.
These developments followed an article by Gandhi outlining alleged manipulation of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, including rigging the EC appointment panel, adding fake voters, inflating turnout, targeting bogus voting, and hiding evidence.
Gandhi claimed the BJP was desperate in Maharashtra and accused them of “match-fixing,” damaging institutions and public faith. He warned this would spread to other states where the BJP is losing.
The Election Commission refuted Gandhi’s “match-fixing” allegations as “completely absurd,” emphasizing that government staff conduct elections with authorized party representatives present. The EC condemned the spread of misinformation as disrespectful to the law and demotivating to election staff.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, the Mahayuti coalition, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, secured 235 of 288 seats, with the BJP winning 132.The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had a disappointing performance, with Uddhav’s Sena getting 20 seats, Congress 16, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP 10.