'Data Manipulation': ICSSR Slams CSDS, To Issue Notice Over Misleading Maharashtra Poll Figures
The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) on Tuesday said it will issue a show-cause notice to the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) over an erroneous claim made by Lokniti co-director Sanjay Kumar in a social media post, which alleged dramatic changes in voter numbers across four Maharashtra Assembly constituencies between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Kumar later retracted the post and issued a public apology, attributing the error to a data misreading.
The ICSSR, which functions under the Ministry of Education and funds research in the social sciences, said in a statement that it had taken 'serious cognisance" of the incident. It described the episode as 'data manipulation" and said the institute had also published 'media stories based on biased interpretation" of the Election Commission of India's Sample Verification (SIR) exercise.
'ICSSR takes serious cognizance of the data manipulation by CSDS and its attempt to create a narrative with the intention of undermining the sanctity of the Election Commission of India. This is a gross violation of the Grant-in-Aid rules of ICSSR, and ICSSR shall issue a Show Cause Notice to the Institute," the council said in a post on X.
It added that it held the Indian Constitution 'in highest esteem" and described the Election Commission as a 'high constitutional body which has been holding free and fair elections in the largest democracy of world for decades together."
The Now-Deleted Post
The controversy began after Kumar, a widely recognised psephologist, posted figures on X suggesting extreme discrepancies in voter numbers in Nashik West, Hingna, Ramtek, and Devlali between the two 2024 elections.
According to his now-deleted posts:
Nashik West Assembly had 3.28 lakh voters during the Lok Sabha polls, which allegedly increased by 1.55 lakh (47.38%) to 4.83 lakh in the Vidhan Sabha elections.
Hingna Assembly's numbers rose from 3.15 lakh to 4.50 lakh — an increase of 1.36 lakh voters (43.08%).
In contrast, Ramtek saw a decline from 4.66 lakh to 2.87 lakh — a drop of 1.80 lakh voters (38.63%).
Devlali's count fell from 4.56 lakh to 2.88 lakh — a 1.68 lakh drop (36.84%).
Kumar retracted the data the next day and posted an apology, writing: 'Error occurred while comparing data of 2024 LS and 2024 AS. The data in row was misread by our Data team. The tweet has since been removed. I had no intention of dispersing any form of misinformation."
I sincerely apologize for the tweets posted regarding Maharashtra elections.Error occurred while comparing data of 2024 LS and 2024 AS. The data in row was misread by our Data team.The tweet has since been removed.I had no intention of dispersing any form of misinformation.— Sanjay Kumar (@sanjaycsds) August 19, 2025
Despite the deletion, the incident has taken on political dimensions, especially because several opposition leaders had shared the figures online in support of their larger campaign against alleged voter roll discrepancies in Maharashtra.
What The Official Data Says
A News18 analysis of Election Commission of India data, released during the announcement of election schedules, showed that Maharashtra had 9.23 crore voters as of March 30, 2024. This rose to 9.63 crore by October 15, 2024, amounting to an increase of about 40 lakh voters. These figures included both new additions and deletions.
The Lok Sabha elections in the state were held in five phases between April 19 and May 20, 2024. The Assembly polls were held later in November. According to ECI rules, the electoral roll for each election freezes on the date of the nomination notification, typically about a month before voting day, making such sharp changes in numbers between the two polls statistically implausible.
Impact On The 'Vote Chori' Campaign
The timing of the CSDS data controversy has intensified scrutiny of the Opposition's 'vote chori' (vote theft) narrative, led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi has alleged that Maharashtra saw the addition of 39 lakh new voters between the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, more than the adult population growth in the state during that time and higher than the total voter increase between 2019 and 2024.
While the now-retracted CSDS figures were not the basis of Gandhi's campaign, they were cited by senior Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera in two posts on X, both of which have since been taken down.
Gandhi officially launched the 'vote chori' campaign earlier this month, focusing on the need for electoral transparency and demanding machine-readable voter rolls.
BJP, EC, and CEO Reactions
Though the Maharashtra CEO has not issued an official statement on Kumar's apology, the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) posted a screenshot of the deleted post in a response to the apology.
'CSDS Sanjay Kumar apologised for the tweet posted regarding Maharashtra Assembly Elections… His data was quoted by many INC & Opposition leaders for questioning EC," the Bihar CEO wrote on X.
BJP leaders, including IT Cell head Amit Malviya, have seized on the apology to counter the Opposition's allegations.
Malviya accused Kumar and CSDS of feeding 'Congress's fake narrative on Maharashtra" without verifying data, saying this was not analysis but 'confirmation bias."
The apology is in, and Sanjay Kumar is out. Incidentally, when was the last time this protégé of Yogendra Yadav ever got anything right? In all his projections in the run-up to every single election, the BJP is supposedly losing—and when the reverse happens, he turns up on TV… https://t.co/QXJvUi6d3B — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 19, 2025
He also questioned the integrity of CSDS, calling for a deeper look at its funding sources, survey design, and past outputs.
'The very institution whose data Gandhi leaned on to defame the voters of Maharashtra has now admitted that its figures were wrong… Shameful," Malviya posted, adding that Gandhi should abandon his Bihar yatra and apologise to the people of India.
top videos
View all
What's Next?
The ICSSR's move marks an escalation in the controversy surrounding Sanjay Kumar's now-deleted social media post and its political fallout. While the council has cited a 'gross violation" of Grant-in-Aid rules, it has not yet detailed what specific consequences the CSDS may face.
About the Author
News Desk
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...Read More
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
tags :
election commission Maharashtra elections
view comments
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
August 20, 2025, 08:45 IST
News india 'Data Manipulation': ICSSR Slams CSDS, To Issue Notice Over Misleading Maharashtra Poll Figures
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Loading comments...
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
After face-off, Bengal accedes to EC order, suspends 4 officials
KOLKATA: Partially complying with an Election Commission directive, the West Bengal govt suspended on Thursday four state officers within the August 21 deadline set by the poll panel, but did not lodge any FIR against them. The EC had sought the suspension of the four officers and a data-entry operator, lodging of an FIR against them, and initiation of disciplinary proceedings indicting them for lapses leading to entry of bogus voters in the electoral rolls. The state had asked the EC to rethink its "disproportionately harsh" recommendation but the poll panel had insisted that its orders be complied with. Two of the four officers indicted by the EC belong to the West Bengal Civil Service executive cadre. State chief secretary Manoj Pant informed the EC on Thursday of the steps taken by Bengal's govt. The stand-off between the poll panel and Bengal's govt started 16 days ago with EC on Aug 5 seeking action against two EROs (election returning officers) and AEROs (assistant EROs) of Moyna in East Midnapore and Baruipur East in South 24 Parganas "for failure in supervising election-related work". Bengal govt reacted by removing an AERO and the data-entry operator from poll duty and starting a probe against all the officers. Unsatisfied, EC seniors asked Pant to meet them in person. Pant appeared before the EC officials on Aug 13 to clarify the Bengal govt's stance. He informed the officials that the state had ordered a fresh probe because it felt the EC's directives were harsh. He was told that the state could probe the matter but he needed to comply with the order by Aug 21 and send a compliance report, and that any further delay would be considered insubordination. A section of lawyers argued that EC has powers both under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951, and under penal laws to act against officers for omissions in their official duty and to lodge FIRs on its own. In this case, EC had tasked Bengal govt with the job and sought "immediate compliance".
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Monsoon session of Parliament washed out
BJP MP Arun Govil and other MPs leave amid rain, after the adjournment of the Lok Sabha during Monsoon Session, at the Parliament House Complex in New Delhi. (ANI) NEW DELHI: Monsoon session of Parliament ended Thursday the way it began on July 21 - with opposition MPs in the well, adjournments, and washout of proceedings. The month-long parliamentary session was dominated by controversies about Bihar electoral rolls review and Pahalgam terror attack , with INDIA bloc on the offensive. When Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tried to conduct the proceedings on Thursday, reminding the protesting members that it was the last day of the session, his pleas were met with barbs from a few members about a discussion on SIR still being possible on the last day. Opposition offensive on SIR during the session was met with resistance from govt, leading to daily protests involving use of placards and aggressive sloganeering, which were preceded by large demonstrations at Parliament entrance every morning. At the end, an anguished Birla blamed "organised disruptions" for fall in productivity. Out of 120 hours allotted for proceedings, LS functioned for around 30% of its scheduled time and RS - where the disruptions were eclipsed briefly by the shock resignation of vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar on the first day of the session - for around 39% of its allotted time. The only orderly business conducted was the discussion on Pahalgam attack-Operation Sindoor, which occupied LS and RS for two days each over three days. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo When opposition drew up its list of issues for discussion ahead of the start of session, Pahalgam and SIR figured on the top. While govt agreed to discuss the Indo-Pak clashes, it rebuffed any bid to discuss Bihar SIR. And even as SIR remained the dominant trigger for confrontation, govt's surprise move at the near end of the session to bring three bills prescribing automatic dismissal of CMs and ministers jailed for 30 days aggravated the situation, with near scuffles in LS in the presence of home minister Amit Shah on the penultimate day. If the washout was a rare occurrence under the all-dominant Modi govt, the reasons were two-fold: increased Congress and opposition strength in the 18th Lok Sabha and complete unity in the anti-BJP axis, including for upcoming vice-presidential election. TMC's unquestioned siding with opposition made a big difference, as there was no discordant note in strategy and execution. The last washout that opposition members recalled was the 2023 winter session when the issue of new criminal laws to replace CrPC and IPC had led to mass suspensions from both Houses. Congress' Manickam Tagore blamed BJP for the deadlock: "More than 239 MPs demanded a full discussion on 'vote chori' and SIR. What did they get? Zero minutes of debate." On the other hand, BJP ally and RLD MP Rajkumar Sangwan said, "Opposition's behaviour was unfortunate. It did not allow the House to function properly."
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Published list of missing names in draft voter list after Bihar SIR, EC tells SC
The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it has published the list of those who do not appear in the draft voters' list for Bihar after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise on the websites of the state's District Election Officers (DEOs). A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi while hearing petitions challenging the SIR exercise on August 14 had issued a set of directions to the ECI to publish the list. In an application filed Thursday, the poll body informed the top court that it had complied with the direction. 'In light of the order… the booth-wise list of about 65 lakh persons whose names do not appear in the Draft Electoral Roll has been published on the website of all 38 District Election Officers in the State of Bihar, along with reasons for their non-inclusion in the Draft Electoral Roll, i.e., whether it is on account of death, shifting of ordinary residence or duplicate entries.' The top court is scheduled to take up the matter for hearing again on Friday.
