Maharashtra polls: Kharge echoes Rahul’s concerns over ‘voter list surge’

New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has issued a statement demanding full transparency from the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the wake of serious questions raised about the conduct of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Citing the concerns outlined by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in a widely published article, Kharge called the developments “deeply troubling” and said the integrity of India’s democratic process is at stake.

Kharge questioned the authenticity of a letter that has surfaced, “purportedly” from the Election Commission, in response to Rahul Gandhi’s article. He noted that the letter remains unsigned and unofficial in nature. “You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions,” he said, quoting Gandhi.

Raising four key concerns, Kharge pointed first to the sudden and statistically “inconsistent surge” in voter numbers in Maharashtra. He highlighted that while only 31 lakh new voters were added between 2019 and early 2024, an unexpected 41 lakh new voters were added in just the five months between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections this year.

He also flagged “the discrepancy” in voter turnout figures. The provisional turnout was initially declared as 58.73 per cent, but the final figure was raised to 66 per cent, he said. Kharge asked for post-5 p.m. CCTV footage and videography from polling booths across the state to explain this 7 per cent jump.

Another issue raised was the amendment to the process of appointing Election Commissioners. The change replaced the Chief Justice of India with the Union Home Minister on the selection panel. Kharge questioned the government’s intent behind removing ‘judicial oversight’ from a process that requires independence and impartiality.

The Congress President also expressed concern over the ECI not publishing the final updated electoral rolls for the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections. He said withholding such critical public data undermines public confidence and transparency.

Demanding immediate corrective action, Kharge called on the ECI to release consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for both elections, complete with version histories and timestamps. He also insisted on the release of all post-5 p.m. polling booth footage from the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

“Transparency is not a favour; it is a constitutional obligation,” Kharge said, adding that democracy cannot function on the basis of opaque processes and unverifiable data. “The credibility of the Election Commission is on trial. The people of India demand answers — and they deserve nothing less,” he said.

–IANS