Will Maharashtra election results change? Congress takes action, EC to decide

The Congress party has raised serious allegations against the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, accusing the Election Commission (EC) of irregularities in voter lists and voting processes. In a letter to the EC, Congress claimed that over 47 lakh new voters were added to the electoral rolls between July and November 2024, with a significant portion added in constituencies where the ruling alliance won.

By Joseph Mathews Updated: Nov 29, 2024, 16:07 IST

On Friday (November 29, 2024), the Congress party raised serious allegations of irregularities in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, accusing the Election Commission of mishandling the voting and counting process. In a letter to the Election Commission, Congress demanded a personal hearing on the matter. The party claimed that voters were arbitrarily removed from the electoral rolls, and more than 10,000 voters were added to each constituency without proper justification.

The Congress further pointed out that "a former Chief Election Commissioner has raised concerns over the voter data in Maharashtra." The letter by the party said that from July to November 2024, as many as 4.7 million new voters were enrolled in the state's electoral rolls. In an average, there were 50,000 new voters being enrolled in 50 constituencies. Out of these 50 constituencies, 47 were won by the ruling alliance and its allies.

Questions Over Sudden Surge in Voter Turnout

Congress also questioned the Election Commission's reported figures, especially regarding the sudden jump in voters. On November 21, 2024, till 5 p.m., the state of Maharashtra had a reported figure of 58.22%, but till 11:30 p.m. it had jumped to 65.02%. The last count recorded 66.05% votes and the same was declared several hours before the counting began, said Congress. It has been alleged that nearly 7.6 million voted in just one hour. Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Concerns Over EVMs and a Call for Paper Ballots

Another concern has been raised over the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) by the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who said that instead of EVMs, the use of ballot papers be adopted. He said, "We do not want EVMs. We demand ballot papers." Interestingly, the recent elections saw the BJP-led Maha Yuti alliance gaining 230 out of 288 seats with BJP taking 132, Shiv Sena 57, and NCP 41. Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, which comprises Congress, won only 46 seats with Congress winning only 16 seats.