Congress flags ‘inconsistencies’ in polling, seeks in-person hearing from EC

It alleged that there was an average increase of 50,000 voters in 50 constituencies in the state and the ruling parties won 47 of those. Citing an analysis done by A detailed analysis of the voter data discrepancies by Parakala Prabhakar, husband of Union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman, the Congress also raised concerns over the approximate increase of 76 lakh votes cast after 5pm.

In the memorandum submitted to the EC, the Congress said, “We write to apprise you of certain serious and grave inconsistencies which are being revealed in the data relating to the polling and counting processes for the recently concluded Maharashtra State Assembly Elections.”

The party gave its worst ever performance in Maharashtra by winning only 16 seats in the 288-member House. After the loss, the party has alleged that the elections were rigged.

Claiming that the names were added and deleted from the voters list to benefit the ruling parties and the final voter turnout data increased inexplicably, the Congress said, “These glaring inconsistencies which strike at the very root of a transparent, free and fair electoral system are not based on any biased motives or far-fetched presumptions but have been extracted from the information made publicly available by this EC. In fact, questions relating to Maharashtra’s voter data have also been raised by a former Chief Election Commissioner, hence we are bringing the same to the attention of this commission.”

The Maha Vikas Aghadi had given a written complaint to the EC on October 19 regarding the exercise undertaken to add and delete names. Referring to the complaint, the Congress said that over 10,000 voters were added in each constituency. “With this exercise of unchecked and arbitrary deletion and consequent insertion of voters, Maharashtra witnessed an unprecedented increase of an estimated 47 lakh voters being added to the electoral roll from July 2024 to November 2024. It is significant to note that out of the 50 Assembly constituencies where there was an average increase of 50,000 voters, the ruling regime and its allies secured victory from 47 of these Constituencies,” the memorandum signed by Maharashtra Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, Nana Patole and Mukul Wasnik read.

The party demanded a thorough investigation and detailed report from the EC on the issue.

Further questioning the increase in final voter turnout data published by the EC, the Congress said that the 58.22 per cent polling was reported across the state at 5 pm, which increased to 65.02 by 11.30 pm. It contended that since the polling ended at 6pm, it was not possible that approximately 76 Lakh votes were cast in the last hour.

Citing an analysis of the voter data discrepancies by renowned economist Parakala Prabhakar, the Congress said, “From a common sense viewpoint, over 70 lakh votes being cast in the closing hour of polling is implausible and unheard of in electoral history. Even assuming the time taken by one individual to cast their vote is two minutes, it is impossible for the commission to have even come out with the final data by 11:30 pm considering that 76 lakh voters have exercised their franchise within the last hour of polling.”

Interestingly, the EC has clarified that the two-hourly data published by it on the polling day was provisional and the final data published did not include postal ballots.

However, asking the EC to give an urgent in-person hearing to raise their issues in detail, the Congress memorandum said, “In fact, apart from the two issues mentioned herein, there are several other constituency specific issues which we would like to raise before this Commission.”