SP leader Abu Azmi claims manipulation of voter list in Maharashtra; demands audit

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Azmi on Friday criticised the Election Commission of India, accusing it of showing blatant bias towards the ruling BJP, and alleged manipulation of the voter list in Maharashtra.

Talking to reporters, the chief of the SP's Maharashtra unit claimed names of valid voters were added in the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency just six months before the elections last year, and inexplicably removed and substituted with those of non-residents.

He demanded an urgent audit of voter rolls and swift fixes to prevent more discrepancies.

Citing the outcome of the 2024 Maharashtra elections, Azmi said that the losses of key Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and veteran Balasaheb Thorat, were proof of wrongdoing.

"People must take to the streets to protest against the wrongdoing of the ECI," he said, emphasising the need for accountability to protect democratic processes.