AICC in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala and state Congress Committee President Nana Patole
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Congress on Friday once again knocked on the doors of the Election Commission on Maharashtra elections, claiming that the BJP won 47 of the 50 Assembly seats where there was an “unprecedented increase” in the number of voters by around 50,000 after an “arbitrary” deletion of names from voter’s list.
It also wanted the EC to explain the “inexplicable” increase in voter percentage from 5 PM to 11:30 PM on the polling day on November 20, which it claimed indicated that 76 lakh people voted in the final hour of polling.
Claiming that this “raises a concern on the conduct of free and fair elections” in Maharashtra and further strengthened by the lack of any cogent response, the Congress said, “It is incumbent upon the EC to hold itself accountable and issue a detailed public response that attempts to explain discrepancies…”
In a memorandum submitted to the EC by senior leaders Nana Patole, Ramesh Chennithala and Mukul Wasnik, the Congress claimed that there were “instances of arbitrary deletion from voter’s list and consequent insertion” of around 10,000 voters per constituency.
The leaders claimed that it led to an “unprecedented increase” of around 47 lakh voters between July and November this year and the party had on October 19 complained to the EC but “no cogent” action was taken.
“It is significant to note that out of the 50 Assembly constituencies where there was an average increase of 50,000 voters, the ruling regime and its allies secured victory from 47 of these constituencies,” they said adding the “exercise of deletion and addition” of names from the electoral roll “conveniently worked to the advantage of the incumbent government”.
Seeking a probe, the memorandum said their claims were “duly corroborated” after a voter registration officer of Tuljapur Assembly seat filed an FIR reporting a large number of fake voter registrations between October 2 and 16 using fake Aadhaar cards.
Pointing out that there has been an “unprecedented increase” in the number of registered voters in five months between the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra polls, it said the existing safeguards of the EC have not been able to curb such an electoral fraud from being committed.
On voter turnout data, the leaders said the voter percentage at 5 PM on polling day was recorded at 58.22 per cent and it rose to 65.02 per cent at 11:30 PM followed by an update to 66.05 per cent hours prior to counting on November 23.
“...as per the voter data provided by the EC, between 5 PM and the close timing of polling 6 PM…approximately 76 lakh votes were cast. Further, there was yet another hike of approximately 10 lakh voters only hours prior to the counting of votes…,” they said adding, 70 lakh votes cast in closing hours of polling is “implausible and unheard” of in electoral history.
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Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls took place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP went up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress tried to make their mark. Maha Yuti are currently comfortably poised to win. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faced a challenge after Hemant Soren's arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP, but look set to retain power with its I.N.D.I.A. allies. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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