Election Commission rebuts Congress claims, defends transparency in Maharashtra voter rolls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday dismissed allegations of “arbitrary additions or deletions” in voter rolls during the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, as reported by PTI.

The statement came in response to accusations by the Congress party, which alleged irregularities, including the addition of over 10,000 voters per constituency and arbitrary deletions from the final voter lists. Congress also raised concerns over “inexplicable increases in voting percentages” between 5 PM and the final figures released at 11:30 PM on polling day.

Addressing these claims, the EC clarified that comparing the 5 PM turnout data to the final figures was inaccurate, as the increase was a normal outcome of aggregating data from polling stations. It explained that variations in votes polled versus votes counted could occur due to legitimate and minor discrepancies during the aggregation process but were inconsequential.

The Commission emphasised the integrity of the electoral process, stating that altering actual voter turnout was “impossible” since statutory Form 17C, detailing voter turnout, is provided to authorised agents of candidates at the close of polling at each station.

On the issue of voter roll preparation, the EC reiterated that a rule-based, transparent process was followed, with no irregular patterns observed in voter deletions across Maharashtra. The Commission noted that Congress representatives had actively participated in the electoral roll preparation process.

The ECI also pointed out that all relevant data, including details of electors for each constituency and Form 20, is publicly available on the CEO Maharashtra’s website for verification.

Reassuring its commitment to transparency and collaboration, the EC urged political parties to provide constructive suggestions for improving the electoral process and emphasised its meticulous, participatory approach to managing elections.