EC data shows 40.81 lakh electors added since 2024 Lok Sabha polls, ‘not abnormal’ for Maharashtra

Gandhi’s allegation astir thousands of voters being registered from 1 gathering code successful Shirdi aligns with a akin ailment filed by the section Congress committee successful August 2024, earlier the finalisation of the electoral roll. However, astatine that time, Pankaj Londhe, president, Rahata Tehsil Congress Committee, had complained astir bogus voters being registered from “specific areas of Shirdi” and not 1 gathering address.

On August 14, 2024, Londhe wrote to EC, “It has travel to our attraction that recently registered voters are not the residents of Shirdi. Therefore, we petition you to not see the names of these bogus voters successful the last database and we instrumentality beardown objection to immoderate specified act. These voters are outsiders and students of a aesculapian college. This registration has taken spot successful circumstantial areas of Shirdi. Many of these voters are already registered successful their archetypal constituencies.”

On November 29, six days aft the Maharashtra Assembly predetermination results were announced, the Congress wrote to the EC alleging that determination had been a “shocking” 13% summation successful electors successful the authorities since the Lok Sabha elections successful May 2024.

Replying to the Congress, the EC wrote connected December 24 that the fig of electors added betwixt the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections successful Maharashtra was 48,81,620, portion 8,00,391 electors’ names were deleted, starring to the nett summation of 40,81,229 electors.

The EC noted that since those who are 18 years oregon supra arsenic connected January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each twelvemonth are eligible to enrol, 8,72,094 electors of the 18-19 property radical and 17,74,514 electors of the 20-29 years property radical were added.

“Thus, 26,46,608 young electors falling successful the property radical of 18-29 were added retired of full summation of 40,81,229 electors during the period. This is simply a invited inclination of information of youth, the aboriginal of our democracy. Thus, the additions made during the play successful a ample authorities similar Maharashtra person nary disposable abnormal trend,” the EC had said successful its rebuttal successful December past year.

With respect to the Congress’s petition for electoral rotation data, the EC said arsenic per the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, each recognised governmental enactment is fixed 2 copies of the last electoral rotation earlier an predetermination escaped of cost. It added that the electoral rotation was disposable for download connected the CEO Maharashtra website arsenic well.

Hours aft Gandhi made the allegations successful the Lok Sabha, erstwhile contacted, S Chockalingam, the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra did not respond to the calls arsenic helium was connected leave. A authorities predetermination committee official, however, said that a factual study has already been submitted to the applicable authorities. “We cannot stock the details with the media,” the authoritative said.

When contacted, Congress person Prabhavati Ghogare said the EC has not responded to the said ailment till date. “These students were registered simply based connected a landmark of an area. We registered a ailment but nary enactment has been taken,” she told The Indian Express.

BJP leaders successful Maharashtra, meanwhile, slammed Gandhi. “What’s incorrect with a emergence successful elector turnout? If much radical formed their votes successful our favour, wherefore does the Opposition consciousness threatened? During the Lok Sabha elections, voters were near frustrated sparking choler arsenic their names were missing oregon had disappeared from the elector list,” said BJP curate and Mumbai BJP main Ashish Shelar. “To make disinterest successful the country’s authorities machinery and strategy is the docket of municipality Naxalites. Why are you playing the relation of their spokesperson,” helium asked.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party president and MP Shrikant Shinde said, “The baseless and hopeless allegations by LoP Rahul Gandhi are thing much than an effort to undermine India’s antiauthoritarian integrity — simply to disguise his party’s repeated electoral failures.”