In a bold move, Congress has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the Maharashtra elections, alleging that the process was compromised. The party questioned the unexplained rise in voter turnout in the last hour of voting, which added a staggering 76 lakh votes. It also claimed that the ruling BJP alliance had manipulated the voters’ list, resulting in a suspicious increase of 47 lakh voters within five months after the Lok Sabha elections.
The party has requested an urgent in-person hearing with the Election Commission (EC) to demand a thorough investigation into these discrepancies. Interestingly, Congress has refrained from making any allegations against the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), despite Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge recently calling for a return to ballot papers.
Discrepancies in Voter Turnout Data
Congress cited glaring discrepancies in voter turnout figures, pointing out that the provisional figure at 5 PM on election day was 58.2%. By 11:30 PM, it had inexplicably surged to 65%, adding 76 lakh votes, and further increased to 66% by the end of the day, with an additional 10 lakh votes.
The party claimed that this sharp rise in turnout was particularly evident in 50 assembly constituencies, where the average increase in voters was around 50,000 per seat, and the BJP-led alliance had won 47 of these seats. Congress described these developments as part of an “unchecked and arbitrary deletion and insertion of voters”, questioning the integrity of the entire process.
Congress to Launch National Movement
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has decided to launch a national movement against what it perceives as a “compromised electoral process”. The party has blamed institutional bias and electoral malpractices for its defeats in Maharashtra and Haryana, alleging that the Election Commission’s functioning was deeply partisan.
While some voices within the party, such as Abhishek Singhvi, have called for the scrapping of EVMs, they also proposed a graded approach. This would involve ensuring 100% matching of VVPATs (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) with EVM results, or providing 10% of VVPAT slips to voters.
Other leaders, including Ajay Maken, Rajiv Shukla, and Gaurav Gogoi, have supported this stance, but added that the focus should also be on the broader issue of the Election Commission’s bias.
Internal Debate on EVMs
While Congress has been cautious about raising direct concerns over EVMs, some leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have briefly mentioned the issue, suggesting that the core problem lies with the functioning of the Election Commission. However, Shashi Tharoor advised against focusing too much on EVMs, as it may not resonate with the public. On the other hand, Maken raised concerns about how the party could contest future elections if doubts about EVMs persisted.
As Congress gears up to take its concerns to the national stage, it is clear that the party is committed to challenging what it views as a compromised electoral system—a move that is likely to fuel more debates around electoral integrity in India.