A day after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called on the Election Commission (EC) to respond to his allegations of irregularities in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, sources in the poll body said Sunday that the Congress MP had not written to them or sought a meeting so far and that the commission would respond when he does.
In an on Saturday, Gandhi had said that the total electors in Maharashtra had seen a sizeable jump between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections as compared to the 2019 and 2024 Assembly polls. He alleged that most of the additional electors were in 85 constituencies where the had not done well in the Lok Sabha polls. He also claimed “match-fixing” of the Maharashtra elections. In response, EC sources had on Saturday refuted the charges, however, the commission is yet to issue a statement.
In response, Gandhi had posted on X on Saturday: “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. Releasing all post-5pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. Evasion won’t protect your credibility. Telling the truth will.”
On Sunday, EC sources said that Gandhi was yet to raise his concerns by writing to the poll body or seeking a meeting. As a part of its initiative to meet all six national parties after Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took office in February, the EC had invited the Congress on May 15, but the party had asked for it to be rescheduled, EC sources said. Meanwhile, the EC has held its meetings with the remaining five national parties.
“As per procedure, it is public knowledge and everyone knows that any Constitutional body, including ECI, will formally respond only when Shri Rahul Gandhi writes to them. It is very intriguing that Shri Rahul Gandhi on one side says that the issues being raised by him are very serious but when it comes to pen them down in black and white to the Election Commission, he shies away,” an EC source said.
On the demand for CCTV footage, the source informed the same was available for scrutiny by the competent High Court in case of an election petition filed to challenge any election. This process was adopted to protect the integrity of elections and the privacy of voters, according to the source.
