Maharashtra Voter List Scam Row: Rahul Gandhi vs Devendra Fadnavis on Poll Rigging Allegations
And now moving on to the news about the Maharashtra and the Voter List Scam allegations that have stirred a heated political controversy. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has intensified his accusations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), doubling down on his poll rigging charge in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has slammed the ECI, demanding transparency and accountability.
In a recent article published in a prominent newspaper, Rahul Gandhi appealed to the ECI, stating, "If the Election Commission has nothing to hide, why is it not answering the questions mentioned in my article?" He has called for the release of the voters’ roll for the recent elections across all states, including Maharashtra, and specifically requested CCTV footage from certain polling centers after 5 p.m. on election day. Gandhi’s claims center on what he alleges is a deliberate manipulation of voter lists, a charge he had raised even before the announcement of the elections.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sharply rebuked Gandhi’s allegations, accusing him of consistently insulting the democratic process and disrespecting the public mandate. Fadnavis claimed that Rahul Gandhi is deeply hurt by his poll loss and is insulting Maharashtra voters in retaliation. "The people of the state will never forgive the Congress leader," Fadnavis asserted, adding that Gandhi’s accusations are a tactic to deflect from Congress’s electoral defeats.
The Election Commission swiftly rejected Gandhi’s claims of a Mahapoll rigged, calling it "absurd" to defame the poll body after receiving an unfavorable verdict from voters. The ECI emphasized that such allegations risk spreading misinformation and demotivating election staff. The commission has promised a detailed response to Gandhi’s claims, asserting that its processes are transparent and uniform across the country.
Fadnavis further criticized Gandhi, suggesting that the Congress leader has preemptively surrendered ahead of upcoming elections in Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal. He claimed that Congress and its ally, the RJD, face a shortage of candidates and are creating a "drama" to mask their anticipated defeats. "For a long time, the excuse was EVM, EVM, EVM. Now that excuse has cooled down, they’ve found a new one—fixing voter lists," Fadnavis remarked. He accused Gandhi and his allies of avoiding introspection and instead blaming the ECI for their losses. "They are forming a party to lose in Bihar, and after that, they’ll go to Assam and West Bengal," he added sarcastically.
Gandhi’s allegations have sparked a broader debate about the integrity of India’s electoral process, with opposition leaders rallying behind him and the ruling coalition dismissing the claims as baseless. As the war of words escalates, the focus remains on whether the ECI will address Gandhi’s demands for transparency and how these accusations will shape public perception ahead of future elections.