The Indian National Congress (INC) submitted an urgent memorandum to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on November 29, 2024. This detailed representation came after the party alleged large-scale electoral fraud during the Maharashtra State Assembly Elections 2024. Through this memorandum, titled “Representation on the Serious Issues/Concerns Identified in the Voter Data for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections 2024”, the party has focused on the arbitrary deletion and addition of voters, manipulation of voter rolls, and unexplained spikes in voter turnout. This memorandum was submitted by prominent Congress leaders Nana Patole, Ramesh Chennithala, and Mukul Wasnik, who have underscored the importance of the ECI addressing these issues by stating that “The hallmark of modern-day democracies is the fairness and transparency with which elections are conducted in a state.” With this, the Congress party criticised the lack of corrective measures and called for urgent intervention.
Issue 1: Allegations of improper deletion of voters in Maharashtra
The Congress party raised serious concerns about arbitrary and improper deletion of voters ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra legislative assembly elections. The present memorandum provided that the party had submitted a memorandum highlighted the said issue on October 19, 2024, which had contained reports from the ground indicating that approximately 10,000 voters were deleted in each constituency, potentially disenfranchising a significant segment of the electorate.
According to the memorandum, voter deletions were carried out without following the prescribed legal framework under the Registration of Electors’ Rules, 1960, which mandates the submission of Form-7 for voter deletion requests. This process requires Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to conduct door-to-door verifications and maintain a documented trail for transparency. Congress alleged that in several instances, “deletions were allowed without proper verification processes and in certain cases without even filing the requisite Form-7.”
To substantiate their allegations, the Congress demanded a series of clarifications and data disclosures from the ECI, including:
- Constituency-wise numbers and names of voters deleted after the Lok Sabha 2024 elections.
- Details of the total number of Form-7 submissions received in each constituency and the corresponding numbers of accepted and rejected claims.
- Evidence of door-to-door verification processes conducted by EROs for these deletions.
- Identification of individuals who submitted more than 250 Form-7s per constituency and details of IP addresses used to file these forms, raising concerns over mass submissions potentially facilitated by organised efforts.
Non-Compliance with verification protocols: Citing the Registration of Electors’ Rules, 1960, the Congress Party argued that deletions could only be carried out through Form-7 submissions, followed by mandatory door-to-door verification by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). However, the memorandum alleged widespread violations, stating:
- “The majority of the deletions were allowed without proper verification processes and, in certain cases, without even filing the requisite Form-7.”
- This lack of compliance, the Congress asserted, compromised the integrity of the electoral process.
To address these concerns, the memorandum demanded detailed constituency-wise data, including:
- Lists of deleted voters and newly shifted polling booths.
- Records of Form-7 submissions and ERO verification processes.
- Information on individuals or devices responsible for bulk Form-7 submissions.
Pointing to the representation dated October 19, 2024, submitted to the ECI outlining these issues, the Congress claimed that the Commission failed to initiate any meaningful investigation or provide a satisfactory response. This inaction, according to Congress, compounded their fears that procedural safeguards had been deliberately bypassed to benefit the ruling coalition.
Issue 2: Allegations of improper addition of voters in Maharashtra
The Congress memorandum also flagged an unprecedented surge in voter registrations between the Lok Sabha elections, held in May 2024, and the Maharashtra assembly elections, held in November 2024. It had been claimed by the party that during this five-month period, Maharashtra’s electoral rolls reportedly grew by 71 lakh voters, reflecting a 13% increase—a figure Congress described as both anomalous and suspicious.
A list provided by such constituencies included Shirdi, Chandrapur, Arvi, Kamthi, Kothrud, Gondia, Akola East, Chikli, Nagpur, Kankavali, Khamgaon, Chimur and Dhamamangaon Railway.
A critical point of contention that was highlighted by the party was that in 50 assembly constituencies, voter rolls saw an average increase of 50,000 voters per constituency, out of which the BJP-led ruling coalition secured victories in 47 constituencies. This pattern, Congress argued, was statistically improbable and indicative of possible foul play. They stated, “These data points on a prima facie reading demonstrate that there has been a significant and inexplicable increase in the number of registered voters across the State of Maharashtra.”
Adding to the severity of the allegations, an FIR was filed by the Voter Registration Officer of the Tuljapur Assembly Constituency at the Dharashiv Cyber Police Station on October 17, 2024. The complaint detailed a case of large-scale fake voter registrations between October 2 and October 16, 2024, facilitated by forged Aadhaar cards. It revealed that:
- Fake Aadhaar cards were generated with mismatched photos, names, and addresses.
- Upon verification, it was found that the individuals linked to these documents did not reside at the stated addresses.
Despite the seriousness of these findings, Congress alleged that “no action was taken by the ECI to address the fraudulent practices.” The party concluded its memorandum by asserting: “Existing safeguards of this commission have not been able to curb such an electoral fraud from being committed.” It called for a thorough investigation and a detailed report on voter deletions, additions, and turnout anomalies, alongside a public disclosure of findings related to the Dharashiv FIR. By documenting these allegations and procedural lapses, the Congress party has sought to hold the ECI accountable and urged it to uphold the principles of democracy. The memorandum served as a call for transparency and fairness, warning that inaction could erode public trust in India’s electoral framework.
To ensure transparency, Congress called for:
- A public report on the police investigation into the FIR filed at Dharashiv Cyber Police Station.
- An examination of the use of fake Aadhaar cards for voter registrations across Maharashtra and Haryana elections.
- Constituency-wise data on Form-6 submissions, which are used for adding new voters, including information on accepted and rejected claims.
- Details of IP addresses associated with more than 250 Form-6 submissions in any constituency to identify possible fraudulent digital activity.
A crisis of electoral integrity
The Congress memorandum paints a damning picture of the electoral process in Maharashtra, alleging a systematic erosion of safeguards intended to ensure free and fair elections. With voter deletions concentrated in constituencies where the ruling coalition gained an advantage, and voter additions showing an anomalous spike, the allegations demand urgent attention. If left unaddressed, such irregularities could undermine public trust in India’s democratic institutions, making robust investigations and corrective actions by the ECI imperative for restoring faith in the electoral process.
The concerns raised by the party were contextualised within the electoral outcome: the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a three-fourths majority in the state assembly, with significant victories in constituencies experiencing the alleged voter roll manipulations. The Congress memorandum suggested that this pattern was not coincidental, arguing that the manipulations “conveniently worked to the advantage of the incumbent government.”
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