Congress has raised serious concerns regarding alleged irregularities in the voting and counting process of the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections. In a letter to the Election Commission dated Friday, November 29, 2024, the party demanded a personal hearing and called for a thorough investigation into the election procedures.
The letter outlines several claims, including that voters were “arbitrarily removed from the voter lists and that over 10,000 voters were added to each assembly constituency. Congress also pointed to issues with Maharashtra’s voter data, referencing allegations made by a former Chief Election Commissioner about discrepancies in the electoral roll.
Congress claimed that a staggering 47 lakh new voters were added to Maharashtra’s voter list between July and November 2024, with over 50,000 new voters being added to 50 constituencies. The party also noted that in these constituencies, the ruling coalition and its allies won 47 out of 50 seats, prompting further concerns about potential manipulation.
The party also questioned the sudden surge in voter turnout. According to the data provided by the Election Commission, the voter turnout in Maharashtra stood at 58.22% by 5 pm on November 21, 2024, but increased to 65.02% by 11:30 pm. The final voter turnout was reported at 66.05%, announced hours before the counting of votes even began. Congress highlighted that an unusually high 76 lakh votes were cast in just one hour, between 5 pm and 6 pm, which it deemed suspicious.
In addition, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge raised concerns about the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He called for a return to the use of ballot papers, stating, “We don’t want EVMs, we want ballot papers.
The election results saw the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance winning a commanding 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP secured 132 seats, Shiv Sena won 57, and the NCP took 41 seats. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), consisting of Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena, managed only 46 seats, with Congress winning just 16.
With these allegations, Congress has demanded immediate scrutiny of the election process and a full investigation into the reported discrepancies. The party’s call for a personal hearing and clarification from the Election Commission signals their intent to challenge the election results on various grounds.