The Election Commission of India (ECI) has formally responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent allegations of electoral malpractice during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. In an official letter dated June 12, the ECI reaffirmed that all elections are conducted strictly in accordance with laws passed by Parliament and under robust supervision involving thousands of officials.
According to the commission, over 1 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs), 288 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 288 Returning Officers (ROs), and multiple observers oversaw the electoral process in Maharashtra. The letter also highlighted that political parties, including Congress, appointed more than one lakh booth-level agents to monitor voting.
Addressing Rahul Gandhi’s claims published in a national daily, the ECI clarified that any concerns raised during the election should already be part of election petitions submitted by Congress candidates to the High Court. However, the commission offered to meet Gandhi personally to discuss any outstanding issues, stating, “If there are any further concerns, we are open to discussing them at a mutually convenient time.”
Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, doubled down on his claims, alleging that the elections were not merely irregular but involved “vote theft.” He demanded the immediate release of machine-readable digital voter lists and relevant CCTV footage. Citing a media report, Gandhi pointed out a sudden increase of 29,219 new voters in Nagpur South West—held by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis—within just six months, between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
