Maha Assembly polls: Cong flags 2 'grave inconsistencies’, seeks EC probe

New Delhi: In the data pertaining to the polling and counting procedures for the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly Elections, the Congress brought up two "serious and grave inconsistencies" on Tuesday.

These included "glaring discrepancies" in the voter turn-out data and the addition or deletion of names from the electoral rolls in the lead-up to the polls.

"We write to apprise you of certain serious and grave inconsistencies which are being revealed in the data relating to the polling and counting processes for the recently concluded Maharashtra State Assembly Elections. These glaring inconsistencies which strike at the very root of a transparent, free and fair electoral system are not based on any biased motives or far-fetched

presumptions but have been extracted from the information made publicly available by this Hon’ble Commission," a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners, signed by the party's Maharashtra chief Nana Patole, and senior leaders Ramesh Chennithala and Mukul Wasnik said.

In fact, questions relating to Maharashtra’s voter data have also been raised by a former Chief Election Commissioner, it noted.

Citing the "certain data points that are a cause of concern, warranting intervention" by the poll panel, the party alleged arbitrary deletion of voters and subsequent addition of over 10,000 voters in each constituency from the final voter lists.

It said that ahead of polling the party and its allies received several on-ground reports about "different means being adopted by the ruling regime to commit large-scale electoral fraud across the Assembly Constituencies in Maharashtra", including this.

"With this exercise of unchecked and arbitrary deletion and consequent insertion of voters, the State of Maharashtra witnessed an unprecedented increase of an estimated 47 lakh voters being added to the electoral roll between July 2024-November 2024," it said, IANS reported.

"These data points on a prima facie reading, demonstrate that; (a) there has been a significant and inexplicable increase in the number of registered voters across the State of Maharashtra; and (b) there has been an exercise of deletion and addition of names in voters lists; all of which have conveniently worked to the advantage of the Incumbent Government."

The Congress said that the issue was duly raised by the Maha Vikas Aghad on October 19 before the poll panel, but no action was taken.

It said "these instances of electoral fraud and voter list manipulation" stand corroborated by the fact that on October 17, a Voter Registration Officer of the Tuljapur Assembly Constituency registered an FIR before the Dharashiv Cyber Police Station reporting a large number of fake voter registrations between October 2 and October 16.

Adding a copy of the FIR as an annexure, the party maintained that given the "unprecedented increase in the number of registered voters in a 5-month period i.e., between the Lok Sabha elections and the Maharashtra State Assembly Elections, there can be no doubt that that existing safeguards of this Commission have not been able to curb such an electoral fraud from being committed".

The Congress secondly raised the "inexplicable increase" in voting percentages from 5 p.m. to the final figure declared at 11.30 p.m. on the same day.

"As per the data made available by this Hon’ble Commission, the polling percentage across the State of Maharashtra at 5 p.m. was 58.22 per cent. The said percentage was later reported to be 65.02 per cent as of 11.30 p.m. on the same day. Further, there was another increase in the voting percentage, ultimately being reported as 66.05 per cent, several hours prior to counting."

"It is submitted that as per the voter data provided by the Hon’ble Commission, between 5 p.m. and the close timing of polling i.e., 6 p.m., approximately 76 lakh votes were cast," the party said, adding that there was yet another hike of approximately 10 lakh voters only hours prior to the counting of votes on November 23.

"It is submitted that the said discrepancy raises several questions about the manner in which the electoral process was conducted across the state of Maharashtra. From a common sense viewpoint, over 70 lakh votes being cast in the closing hour of polling is implausible and unheard of in electoral history" it said, adding that it was impossible for the poll panel to "have even come out with the final data by 11.30 pm".

"These instances, which are corroborated with numerical data, published by this Hon’ble Commission raise a concern on the conduct of free and fair elections in the State of Maharashtra. These doubts are further strengthened by the lack of any cogent response by this Hon’ble Commission addressing these doubts," the party said.

Citing the constitutional provisions, the Congress said that the Election Commission is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, and considering the issues cited above, it is incumbent upon it to "hold itself accountable and issue a detailed public response that attempts to explain discrepancies and concerning data points as cited herein above".

It also requested that the poll panel grant them an urgent in-person hearing to raise the two issues mentioned herein, and several other constituency-specific issues.