Rahul Gandhi Challenges ECI To Publish Voter Rolls, Post-5pm CCTV Footage Of Maharashtra Polls
Last Updated:
Rahul Gandhi ignited a political row after he claimed that a systematic method was used to influence the Maharashtra election outcome in favour of BJP.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at Election Commission of India (ECI) over the claims and allegations of 'electoral manipulation" in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, urging the poll body to respond to his allegations in a 'proper manner".
The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition said that 'releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries" was not a done thing to respond to his 'serious questions."
Gandhi also demanded the poll body to publish consolidated data for the recently held elections and all post-5pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths.
'Dear EC, You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions. If you have nothing to hide, answer the questions in my article and prove it by– Publishing consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states including Maharashtra and releasing all post-5pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. Evasion won't protect your credibility. Telling the truth will," Gandhi said in a post on X.
Rahul Gandhi's remarks came hours after the poll body dismissed the allegations raised by the Lok Sabha LoP that there was a large-scale electoral manipulation in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
What ECI Said?
The ECI hit back with a point wise rebuttal, stating that 'facts are completely being ignored."
'Unsubstantiated allegations raised against the Electoral Rolls of Maharashtra are an affront to the rule of law. The Election Commission had brought out all these facts in its reply to the INC on 24th December 2024 itself, which is available on ECI's website. It appears that all these facts are being completely ignored while raising such issues again and again," the ECI said.
Following Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's tweet on Maharashtra election, ECI says, '…unsubstantiated allegations raised against the Electoral Rolls of Maharashtra are affront to the rule of law. The Election Commission had brought out all these facts in its reply to INC on 24th… pic.twitter.com/5M7Gzf1anI — ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2025
Adding to its rebuttal about how 'facts were being completely ignored" repeatedly, the ECI further said that such actions not only show 'a complete disregard for the law," but also undermine the integrity of thousands of party-appointed representatives and demoralise the lakhs of election officials who, it said, 'work untiringly and transparently during elections."
'After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd," stated the poll body.
Rahul Gandhi's Allegations
The Congress leader ignited a political row after he claimed that a systematic method was used to influence the election outcome in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a post on X, the grand-old party leader summarised the key points of an article he wrote for The Indian Express, where he described the so-called electoral manipulation.
In his article, Gandhi outlined a five-step process he claimed was used to tilt the Maharashtra election.
'Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll Step 3: Inflate voter turnout Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win Step 5: Hide the evidence," the Leader of Opposition wrote in his post.
'It's not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra," Gandhi wrote in his post. 'But rigging is like match-fixing – the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroy public faith in the result."
'All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers," Gandhi added.
He also warned that what happened in Maharashtra could be repeated elsewhere. 'The match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing," he said, calling match-fixed elections are a 'poison" for any democracy.
Earlier at multiple occasions, Gandhi had raised concerns over the surge in new voters, particularly between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra, highlighting that 39 lakh new voters were added in just five months after the Lok Sabha polls.
'We want to bring to the notice of the people of India some information that we have found regarding the Maharashtra elections. We have studied in detail the voter lists, the voting pattern and we have a team working on this for some time. There are many irregularities that we have found," Gandhi had said in February this year.
Maharashtra Elections 2024
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance had scored a massive and astonishing victory over Maha Vikas Aghadi in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The unprecedented electoral sweep is a record win as no alliance has ever crossed the magic mark of 200 seats in the Maharashtra polls.
The ruling Mahayuti had won 234 of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra elections, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, winning 132 seats on its own.
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ...Read More
Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!
tags :
BJP maharashtra maharashtra election Rahul Gandhi
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 07, 2025, 19:30 IST
News politics Rahul Gandhi Challenges ECI To Publish Voter Rolls, Post-5pm CCTV Footage Of Maharashtra Polls
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Election Commission of India says absurd to defame us after electoral loss in Maharashtra
On a day when the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, levelled allegations of irregularities in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election yet again, the Election Commission (EC) said it was completely 'absurd' to 'defame' the poll body after 'any unfavourable verdict by the voters'. In articles published in different languages in various publications on Saturday, the Congress MP claimed that the outcome of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election was 'glaringly strange', and the 'scale of rigging' was so desperate that, despite all efforts to conceal it, tell-tale evidence has emerged' from official statistics. He also claimed he was 'not talking about small-scale cheating but of industrial-scale rigging involving the capture of our national institutions'. The Leader of the Opposition had raised the issue earlier in the Lok Sabha as well as at a joint press conference with other Opposition parties, and during his tour to the United States. The poll body, on December 24, 2024, wrote to the Congress explaining its position. In April also, it had rebutted similar allegations made by Gandhi in the U.S. EC sources on Saturday said that the poll body has already elaborated the procedure behind the updation of electoral rolls. Any deletion and addition in the electoral roll is strictly as per the given framework under Article 324 of the Constitution, provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of the Electors Rules, 1960, as well as the extant instructions issued by the commission from time to time. The process was undertaken in the full glare of 1,03,727 booth-level agents appointed by the political parties, including 27,099 agents by the Indian National Congress (INC) themselves. After the finalisation of the electoral rolls during the Maharashtra election, out of the 9,77,90,752 electors, only 89 appeals were filed before the first appellate authority (District Magistrate) under Section 24(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and only one appeal was preferred before the second appellate authority (Chief Electoral Officer) under Section 24(B) of the same Act. Section 24 of the Representation of People Act, 1961, says that appeals can first be filed with the District Magistrate (DM) and then with the Chief Electoral Officer. As per Rule 27 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the first appeal to the District Magistrate can be filed within 15 days of the order of the Electoral Registration Officer, and the second appeal to the Chief Electoral Officer can be filed within 30 days of the order of DM. However, the delay in filing appeals can be condoned by the DM and/or Chief Electoral Officer as per the proviso of Rule 27. Partners should understand India's zero tolerance for terror policy, not put India and Pakistan on par, says Jaishankar India expects its partners to understand its 'policy of zero tolerance' on terrorism, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told visiting British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, adding that the country could not 'countenance' equating 'perpetrators of evil' with their victims. The stern statement from the External Affairs Minister came at the beginning of talks during Lammy's one day visit to Delhi on Saturday, and follows a few weeks after Lammy's visit to Pakistan, where he said that the U.S. and the U.K. were working with India and Pakistan to ensure 'an enduring ceasefire', dialogue, and Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) between India and Pakistan. The comments, in an interview to Reuters in Islamabad on May 17, had ruffled feathers in New Delhi as India has repeatedly denied any third country's role in the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack. 'We practice a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it, and we will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims,' Jaishankar told Lammy, while thanking the U.K. government for its condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, and support for India's fight against terrorism. In a statement ahead of the visit, the U.K. High Commission had said that Lammy would address the 'recent escalation in tensions following the Pahalgam terrorist attack and how welcomed sustained period of peace can be best supported in the interests of stability in the region'. Jaishankar's strong words are part of a diplomatic pushback by the government against other countries over what is seen as India's 'hyphenation' with Pakistan in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, where many countries expressed concern and offered to help stop the military escalation during the four-day conflict. The government has faced criticism from the Opposition over U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that he mediated the crisis, a claim seemingly bolstered by Russian Presidential Aide Ushakov and Lammy in their respective statements. In addition, the Opposition has claimed that the government has failed diplomatically to stop Pakistan, which is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), from becoming the Chair of the Taliban Sanctions Committee and the Vice-Chair of the Counter Terrorism Committee for the year, despite India's ties with permanent members the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia, and others on the council. Official sources said that 'India will be working closely with its friends' in the UNSC to keep a watch on Pakistan's activities on the council, given that Pakistan will also assume the Presidency of the UNSC in July. The sources said that Pakistan had requested Chairpersonship of four committees dealing with terrorism, and had only been nominated to the top of two, and Co-chair of some informal working groups (IWGs) due to a move by the Council to 'reign in Pakistan'. They added that at least 50 of 343 individuals and entities that have been designated by the UNSC as terrorists are linked to or reside in Pakistan, and many globally wanted terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden had lived and trained there. The Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to requests for a comment on whether the issue of Pakistan's role in the UNSC terror committees had been discussed between Jaishankar and Lammy. Lammy met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning, the second time he was accorded the meeting, after his previous visit in July 2024. He is also meeting Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to take forward discussions on the India-U.K. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that was finalised in May, and discussions over signing could be held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the U.K. PM Keith Starmer when they meet in Canada in mid-June on the sidelines of the G7 summit, where India is a special invitee. In his opening remarks, Jaishankar also referred to the India-U.K. FTA, as a 'milestone' in ties, and the potential of other bilateral agreements, including the Technology Security Initiative (TSI) for Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue to 'propel' ties forward. 'Signing a Free Trade Agreement is just the start of our ambitions — we are building a modern partnership with India for a new global era,' Lammy said in a statement ahead of his visit to India, pointing to cooperation in growth, technology, tackling the climate crisis, delivering 'migration priorities', and security issues. Musk deletes post claiming Trump 'in the Epstein files' Tech billionaire Elon Musk has deleted an explosive allegation linking Donald Trump with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that he posted on social media during a vicious public fallout with the U.S. President this week. Musk, who exited his role as a top White House advisor just last week, alleged on Thursday that the Republican leader is featured in secret government files on former associates of Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while he faced sex trafficking charges. The Trump administration has acknowledged it is reviewing tens of thousands of documents, videos and investigative material that his 'MAGA' movement says will unmask public figures complicit in Epstein's crimes. 'Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files,' Musk posted on his social media platform, X, as his growing feud with the President boiled over into a spectacularly public row on Thursday. 'That is the real reason they have not been made public,' he said. Musk did not reveal which files he was talking about and offered no evidence for his claim. He initially doubled down on the claim, writing in a follow-up message, 'Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.' However, he appeared to have deleted both tweets by Saturday morning. Supporters on the conspiratorial end of Trump's 'Make America Great Again' base allege that Epstein's associates had their roles in his crimes covered up by government officials and others. They point the finger at Democrats and Hollywood celebrities, although not at Trump himself. No official source has ever confirmed that the President appears in any of the material. Trump knew and socialised with Epstein but has denied spending time on Little Saint James, the private redoubt in the US Virgin Islands where prosecutors alleged Epstein trafficked underage girls for sex. 'Terrific guy,' Trump, who was Epstein's neighbour in both Florida and New York, said in an early 2000s profile of the financier. 'He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' Just last week, Trump gave Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But their relationship imploded within days as Musk described as an 'abomination' a spending bill that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump's second term in office. Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe and from there the row detonated, leaving Washington and riveted social media users alike stunned by the blistering break-up between the world's richest person and the world's most powerful. With real political and economic risks to their row, both then appeared to inch back from the brink on Friday, but the White House denied reports they would talk. India central to key supply chains; must be part of G7 discussions: Canadian PM Carney India is the fifth largest economy in the world, and it is central to a number of critical global supply chains, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said, arguing that the leadership of the country must be part of discussions at the upcoming G7 summit. Carney's comments came after some of his political opponents in Canada criticised him for inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in view of a probe into allegations of Indian links to the killing of a Khalistani separatist in 2023. Prime Minister Modi accepted Carney's invitation to attend the G7 summit during a phone conversation on Friday. Canada is hosting the G7 summit in the Alberta province from June 15 to 17 in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping. To a specific question on the case of killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, Carney told reporters that it is not appropriate for him to comment as the legal process in the case is underway. The Canadian Prime Minister said the G7 summit will deliberate on a range of key issues including energy security, digital future, critical minerals and on partnerships in building infrastructure in the emerging and developing world. Carney suggested that he extended the invitation to Modi after talking to other G7 member countries. 'There are certain countries that should be at the table for those discussions,' he said when asked why PM Modi was invited when there have been allegations of Indian links to the Nijjar case. 'India is the fifth largest economy in the world; effectively the most populous country in the world. [It is] central to a number of those supply chains; [it is] at the heart of a number of those supply chains, so it makes sense,' he said. Without elaborating, Carney noted that India and Canada have agreed to continue law enforcement dialogue. 'Bilaterally, we have now agreed importantly to continue law enforcement dialogue. There has been some progress on issues of accountability,' he said. Canada's NDP party slammed Carney for extending the invitation to Modi. 'This decision is profoundly troubling,' it said. The India-Canada relations hit rock bottom following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Nijjar. In October last year, India recalled its High Commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats. However, Liberal Party leader Carney's victory in the parliamentary election in April triggered hopes for reset of the relationship. In the last few months, the security officials of India and Canada resumed contacts and both sides were looking at the possibility of appointing new high commissioners. India had accused Trudeau's government of allowing pro-Khalistani elements to operate from Canadian soil. After Trudeau's exit, New Delhi said it hoped to rebuild ties with Canada based on 'mutual trust and sensitivity'. Five Maoists gunned down in encounters in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district Five Maoists were killed in two encounters with security forces in an ongoing operation in the Indravati National Park area of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Saturday. With the latest casualties, seven Maoists, including top leaders Sudhakar and Bhaskar, were neutralised in the operation in the last three days, they said. 'Security forces have recovered the bodies of seven Maoists during the ongoing anti-Naxal operations in the Indravati National Park area of the district,' a senior police official said. On Saturday, two bodies were recovered following a gunfight, while three were found after the exchange of fire on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, he said. The official said the operation involving personnel from the state police's Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) as well as the CRPF's specialised unit CoBRA, was launched on June 4 based on input about the presence of Maoist leader Sudhakar, Telangana State Committee member Bandi Prakash, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) member Pappa Rao, and a few other armed cadres. On Friday, security forces neutralised Bhaskar, alias Mailarapu Adellu, a special zonal committee (SZC) member of the Telangana State Committee (TSC) of Maoists who carried a reward of Rs 45 lakh in Chhattisgarh and Telangana, and Maoists' central committee member Narasimha Chalam, alias Sudhakar, who had a bounty of Rs 40 lakh in Chhattisgarh, was killed on Thursday, he said. The official said the identity of five more killed Maoists, two of them women, is yet to be ascertained. A huge cache of arms and ammunition, including two AK-47 rifles, has been seized in the operation, he said, adding that search and area domination operations were underway in the surrounding forested terrain to track remaining Maoist cadres and ensure complete sanitisation of the region. A few security personnel have suffered injuries due to snakebite, honeybee sting, dehydration and other operational injuries during the operation and were provided medication, the official said. The outlawed CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju (70), was neutralised in the Bastar region on May 21, 2025. In brief: At least 76 army personnel were on Saturday airlifted from Chaten in north Sikkim, where road connectivity has been snapped due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rain, officials said. This marks the 'completion of coordinated evacuation efforts', which included the rescue of all stranded tourists earlier, they said. 'Altogether 76 army personnel were airlifted by three MI-17 helicopters. The air evacuation operation from Chaten has concluded today with the helicopters transporting army personnel from Chaten to Pakyong Greenfield Airport,' an official said. The state government continues to closely monitor the overall situation and remains committed to providing all necessary support in the disaster-hit region and assistance to those affected by natural calamities, another official said. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Lakshman may face Cong action for outburst against RaGa, Vadra
Bhopal: The AICC disciplinary action committee (DAC) has recommended expelling senior leader Lakshman Singh, former MLA, five-time MP, and younger brother of Digvijaya Singh , from the party for six years over "repeated public statements against the leadership" that damaged the party's image. On Saturday, sources in the Congress state unit said the party could expel him from primary membership after his comment on Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra. Lakshman Singh was served with a show-cause notice after he asked how long will the Congress have to put up with the immaturity of Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra? On April 24, while paying homage to victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack at a function, Lakshman Singh said: "Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra are immature. The country is suffering the consequences of their immaturity." He also said, "Robert Vadra is Rahulji's brother-in-law. He said the attack is because Muslims are not permitted to offer Namaz on the roads. Till when are we going to tolerate such childishness? Rahul Gandhi should think before he speaks, he is the LOP." Lakshman Singh had also launched a scatching attack on Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah. "I am saying this on camera that the CM of Jammu and Kashmir is in collusion with terrorists. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo I urge Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to withdraw support from him," Lakshman Singh said. The former MLA from Chachoura assembly seat also added, "If the party wants to remove me, they may do so today." On May 9, DAC member secretary Tariq Anwar issued the show-cause notice to Lakshman Singh that said, "This is to bring to your notice that a complaint has been received from MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari and AICC general secretary in-charge of MP Harish Chaudhary regarding your repeated public statements that have caused serious damage to the image and dignity of the Congress." The notice further said, "It has been further noted that your recent statement has crossed all limits, particularly the derogatory and disrespectful remarks directed at senior party leadership, including the Honourable Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. You are hereby issued a show-cause notice and directed to submit a written explanation within ten days from the date of receipt of the notice." A senior state Congress office-bearer said the DAC has recommended expulsion of Lakshman Singh for indiscipline. The final decision will be taken soon by AICC president Kharge, the office-bearer said.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Rahul sounds 'match-fixing' alarm again, says Bihar next
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday renewed his allegation of electoral malpractices in last November's assembly election in Maharashtra that the BJP-led alliance swept and said " match-fixing will come next in Bihar", which goes to polls later this year. Gandhi, who has been attacking the central government over its handling of Operation Sindoor, again raised the allegation of electoral malpractices in identical articles written in more than a dozen newspapers and through social media posts. He focussed his charges more on the authenticity of electoral rolls and high voter turnouts and less on electronic voting machines. He again objected to the Chief Justice of India not being part of the search committee for election commissioners. Incidentally, all these issues are topics of petitions currently pending before the apex court. Maintaining the Maharashtra poll was a blueprint for "how to steal an election" and "for rigging democracy", Gandhi claimed it was done through various steps. "Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission , Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll, Step 3: Inflate voter turnout, Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win, Step 5: Hide the evidence. It's not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra," he wrote on microblogging platform X. "But rigging is like match-fixing - the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroys public faith in the result. All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers. Because the match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing. Match-fixed elections are a poison for any democracy," he said. Gandhi renewing the charges over Maharashtra election results after a pause on the front and the fact that his latest burst is mostly a summary of the old charges, have made many in the Congress wonder whether he was using it more as a caveat ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly poll, where Gandhi's new-found switch to 'social justice' plank has high-stakes. They said his article is mostly inspired by the "investigations" done by the AICC's data wing.
