Can EC announce date by which electoral-roll data of Haryana, Maharashtra will be handed over: Rahul Gandhi

After Gandhi sought the EC's response on his article alleging rigging in last year's Maharashtra Assembly election, sources in the poll authority said on Sunday that the constitutional body would respond only if the Leader of Opposition writes to it directly.

New Delhi: With reports suggesting that the Election Commission is inclined to share the electoral-roll data for Haryana and Maharashtra from 2009 to 2024 to the Congress, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday said it was a “a good first step” and asked the poll body to announce a date by which it would be handed over in a “digital, machine-readable format”.

The Chief Electoral Office of Maharashtra said in a statement that electoral rolls are shared free of cost with recognised parties at the draft and finalisation stage at the time of revision and any person, including Congress, can get a copy of previous voters’ list by paying a fee. This was conveyed to an MP who sought a copy of rolls of 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024, the CEO said.

The reports said that EC has cleared the way for sharing the electoral-roll data for Haryana and Maharashtra from 2009 to 2024, following an assurance it gave to the Delhi High Court earlier in the year in a petition filed by Congress General Secretary and senior MP Randeep Surjewala.

Rahul posted a screenshot of the report on X and said, "Good first step taken by EC to hand over voter rolls. Can the EC please announce the exact date by which this data will be handed over in a digital, machine-readable format?"

Rahul’s comments came as the Congress leader and the poll body are engaged in a war of words following his article in newspapers claiming that there was “match-fixing” in Maharashtra elections. He had asked the EC to respond to his “serious” questions rather than issuing “unsigned, evasive” notes. On its part, EC sources said it could respond only if he officially writes to it.

In the statement, the Maharashtra CEO said electoral rolls are revised annually and it was done during 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 too. Copies were shared with the Congress as well as other parties.

A complete copy of the electoral roll used in Maharashtra Assembly elections is available on the website.

“Even for earlier electoral rolls, a copy of the finalised roll is retained by the District Election Officer (DEO) as well. Under Rule 33 of the Registration of Electors Rule, 1960, any person, including the Congress can apply to the concerned DEO and get a copy of such retained electoral rolls on payment of a prescribed fee,” the statement said.

The Chief Electoral Officer had “reiterated” this statutory position on May 22 to a Congress MP, who sought a copy of electoral rolls, which were “already provided” to the Congress at the time of revision in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.