Congress Alleges Voter Data Discrepancies, Seeks ECI Probe in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra Congress has raised serious concerns over alleged discrepancies in voter data from the recently concluded state Assembly elections. In a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the party pointed to what it described as "grave inconsistencies" in the polling and counting processes, including an "unprecedented increase" of around 47 lakh voters in the electoral rolls.

The letter, signed by Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, and general secretary Mukul Wasnik, highlighted irregularities such as the "arbitrary deletion" of voters and the subsequent addition of over 10,000 voters per constituency. 

Additionally, the party raised concerns about a significant and unexplained rise in voter turnout during the final hours of polling. According to the Congress, the voting percentage surged from 58.22% at 5 pm to 65.02% by 11:30 pm on polling day. This final figure later increased to 66.05%, leading the Congress to question the authenticity of these numbers.

The party also took issue with the sheer volume of votes reportedly cast in the last hour—around 76 lakh votes. The Congress argued that such a spike in voter participation is "implausible," suggesting it would be impossible for the Election Commission to process this data in time, given the average time it takes an individual to cast a vote.

The letter further alleged that the sudden increase in the electoral roll favored the ruling regime. The Congress claimed that out of the 50 constituencies that saw an average increase of 50,000 voters, 47 were won by the ruling alliance, Mahayuti. The party also attached a copy of an FIR from October 17, 2024, filed by Dharashiv cyber police, reporting "a large number of fake voter registrations."

In light of these discrepancies, the Congress has demanded an urgent in-person hearing with the Election Commission and called for a detailed public response from the ECI to address these concerns.

The Congress suffered a significant loss in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, winning only 16 of the 101 seats it contested. In contrast, the ruling Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory, winning 230 out of the 288 seats.