Can meet, write to us to discuss issues: Election panel to Rahul Gandhi
The poll body sent a letter to Gandhi on June 12 in response to the former Congress president’s allegations in a newspaper article, saying that all elections are held strictly as per laws
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said it had formally responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “industrial-scale rigging” in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly polls, adding it was willing to meet the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha in person to discuss all issues.
The poll body sent a letter to Gandhi on June 12 in response to the former Congress president’s allegations in a newspaper article, saying that all elections are held strictly as per laws. Gandhi was yet to respond to the EC’s letter, people aware of the matter said.
“We presume that any issue regarding the conduct of elections would have already been raised through election petitions filed in the competent court of law (Bombay high court) by the INC (Congress) candidates,” EC said in its June 12 letter, titled ‘Invitation for an interaction with the Commission’.
The poll body further said that the entire election process is conducted in a decentralised manner at the assembly constituency level, which involved over 100,186 booth level officers (BLOs), 288 electoral registration officers (EROs), 139 general observers, 41 police observers, 71 expenditure observers and 288 returning officers (ROS) appointed by ECI. Moreover, 108,026 booth-level agents are appointed by national and state political parties, including 28,421 of the Congress across Maharashtra, the letter added.
“However, if you still have any issues, you are welcome to write to us and the Commission is also willing to meet you in person at a mutually convenient date and time to discuss all issues. A convenient date and time may be communicated in this regard,” the poll body wrote to Gandhi.
People aware of the matter in ECI said that Congress leaders were scheduled to meet the poll body on May 15, following ECI’s invitation to all parties for a meeting in New Delhi for grievance redressal. However, the meeting was cancelled and no new date has been finalised yet, the people added.
On Tuesday, Gandhi again took to social media to level allegations against the poll body.
“In Maharashtra CM’s own constituency, the voter list grew by 8% in just 5 months. Some booths saw a 20-50% surge. BLOs reported unknown individuals casting votes. Media uncovered thousands of voters with no verified address. And the EC? Silent–or complicit. These aren’t isolated glitches. This is vote theft. The cover-up is the confession,” the Congress leader wrote on X.
He shared a media report which claimed that in just six months between the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Maharashtra assembly polls, Nagpur South West — the seat held by BJP leader and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis — added 29,219 new voters.
“That’s why we demand the immediate release of machine-readable digital voter rolls and CCTV footage,” Gandhi added.
Responding to Gandhi’s allegations, Fadnavis quipped that the Congress leader’s pain of “crushing defeat” in Maharashtra was growing by the day. “For your information, there are more than 25 constituencies in Maharashtra where more than 8% voters have increased between the Lok Sabha (polls) and assembly elections, and Congress won in many of those places,” he said in a post in Hindi on X.
The BJP leader cited several examples, including that of West Nagpur constituency, adjoining his Nagpur South-West seat, that saw an increase of 7% voters (27,065) and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre won the election there.
“In North Nagpur, voters increased by 7% (29,348) and Nitin Raut from Congress won. In Pune district, Wadgaon Sheri saw an increase of 10% (50,911) voters and Bapusaheb Pathare from the Sharad Pawar faction won. Malad West saw an increase of 11% (38,625), and your Congress party’s Aslam Shaikh won. In Mumbra, voters increased by 9% (46,041) and Jitendra Awhad from the Sharad Pawar faction won,” Fadnavis added.
