New Delhi, 7 February 2025: – The Congress, Shiv Sena-UBT, and NCP-SP on Friday accused the Election Commission of irregularities in Maharashtra’s voter lists, claiming that 39 lakh voters were added between the Lok Sabha and assembly elections—a number comparable to the population of Himachal Pradesh.
At a joint press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned the sudden increase, stating, “The number of new voters added in just five months is staggering. The Election Commission must provide the voter lists and clarify the situation.”
He claimed the opposition’s vote share remained unchanged in the assembly polls, while the additions largely benefited the BJP.
Gandhi, flanked by NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, pointed to a discrepancy between Maharashtra’s official adult population of 9.54 crore and its registered voter count of 9.7 crore. “There are more voters than adults in the state. How is that possible?” he asked.
Comparing recent trends, Gandhi noted that Maharashtra’s voter list grew by 39 lakh in just five months after the Lok Sabha polls, whereas it expanded by only 32 lakh in the entire five-year period between 2019 and 2024.
He warned that if the Election Commission fails to release the full voter lists from both elections, “it raises serious concerns about electoral integrity.”
Expressing alarm over the implications, Gandhi remarked, “We are witnessing a systematic attack on the Constitution, but we are committed to defending it.”
He also indicated that the opposition would seek judicial intervention, stating, “If the EC has nothing to hide, why are they refusing to share the data?”
