NEW DELHI: Reiterating its commitment to a transparent process during the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday assured the Congress party of a review of all legitimate concerns. It also invited a Congress delegation for a meeting on Tuesday, December 3.
In a letter to the Congress, the ECI stated that it had followed a transparent process involving candidates and their agents at every stage of the voting process.
However, addressing the Congress’s apprehensions regarding the voting percentage in the Maharashtra elections, the poll body extended an invitation for a detailed discussion. This follows similar concerns raised by the party regarding the EVM process after the Haryana Assembly polls.
The letter further mentioned that the ECI would review all legitimate concerns raised by Congress and provide a written response after hearing the delegation.
In an interim response to Congress’s complaints, the ECI reaffirmed the transparency of its processes, emphasizing the involvement of candidates or their agents at every stage. It also reiterated that electoral roll updates are carried out with the involvement of political parties.
Regarding Congress’s concerns about voter turnout data, the ECI asserted that there was no discrepancy. It clarified that polling station-wise data is available and verifiable by all candidates.
“The gap between the 5 PM polling data and the final voter turnout is due to procedural priorities, as presiding officers perform multiple statutory duties near the close of polling before updating voter turnout data. As an additional transparency measure, the ECI introduced a press note at around 11:45 PM during the 2024 General Elections, which has since been followed in all subsequent assembly elections,” the poll panel explained in its letter.
On Friday, Congress submitted a memorandum to the ECI, alleging that the “integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised” and criticizing the Commission.
The issue was also discussed at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, where the party announced plans to launch a “national movement.”
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, addressing the media, alleged that “electoral malpractices” influenced the Haryana Assembly election results.
“The CWC acknowledged that the party’s performance in Haryana was contrary to all expectations. The INC should have formed the government in the state by a convincing margin, but it did not. Electoral malpractices influencing the results have been overlooked,” he claimed. He added that the party found its performance in Maharashtra “unexplainable and shocking,” suggesting it was a case of “targeted manipulation.”
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole also wrote to the ECI, questioning how voter turnout increased by 7.83 percentage points after the official polling time had ended.
Patole alleged “arbitrary deletion of voters” and the “subsequent addition of over 10,000 voters in each constituency from the final voter lists,” as well as an “inexplicable increase in voting percentages from 5 PM to the final voter percentage declared by the ECI at 11:30 PM on polling day.”
In the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadicomprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar) lost to the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. Congress secured 16 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, and NCP (SP) managed 10 seats.
