After the disappointing performance in the Maharashtra elections, the Congress party has written an “urgent memorandum” to the Election Commission, seeking a meeting in person on what it called “serious and grave inconsistencies” in the polling and counting processes. The 12-page memorandum submitted on Friday highlights concerns raised by former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi on the integrity of voter data.
The memorandum from Congress identifies two major issues: “arbitrary deletion of voters” coupled with the addition of more than 10,000 new voters in each constituency, and suspicious increases in the percentage of voter turnout. These suggestions hint at a systemic effort at diluting the voting strength of those sympathetic to the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi, which suffered severe losses to the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition.
It has demanded that the Election Commission launch a comprehensive probe into the complaints. One of the allegations the Congress mentioned was an “unprecedented increase” of around 47 lakh voters being added to the electoral rolls between July and November 2024. The memorandum stated, “In 50 Assembly seats where an average of 50,000 new voters were recorded, the ruling party and its allies won 47 seats.
In particular, the Congress cited instances of alleged voter manipulation in the Tuljapur constituency, claiming that fake Aadhaar cards were used to cast illegal votes. Traditionally held by Congress’s Madhukarrao Chavan until 2014, the seat was won by BJP’s Ranajagjitsinha Patil by a margin of 37,000 votes this election cycle.
The Congress also raised alarm over discrepancies in reported voter turnout, with the Election Commission recording an average turnout of 58.22% by 5 PM, which then surged to 66.05% before counting began. The party contended that such a spurt, more so when over 70 lakh votes were cast in the last hour, was impossible and thus cast doubt on the integrity of the election process.
The Congress is unhappy with its recent electoral experiences in Haryana, too, where it has claimed that the counting process was rigged. The party was projected to win but faced a stunning reversal of fortunes as the BJP won a third consecutive term, prompting allegations of EVM tampering.
The Election Commission, though, responded firmly to earlier complaints from the Congress with regard to the Haryana results, criticizing the party for “baseless allegations” in the wake of unfavorable results and for sensational claims.
The BJP dismissed the Congress accusations over EVMs, pointing out that if the machines are unreliable, the results of the elections that Congress won must also be questioned. “When they lose, they cry foul about EVMs. When they win, it’s all good,” said the BJP in a social media post.
This is in stark contrast to the performance of the Congress party in Maharashtra, as the political winds blow across the country. Meanwhile, the party did manage to hold onto the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, aided by senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s notable debut in Kerala.
