The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections have ignited a firestorm of controversy, with allegations of electoral manipulation, procedural bias, and discrepancies in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tallies dominating political discourse. The Mahayuti alliance’s landslide victory has come under intense scrutiny, as opposition leaders, activists, and voters express doubts over the fairness of the process.
From delays in election announcements to alleged EVM tampering, leaders of the opposition, activists and people of Maharashtra are arguing that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has failed to uphold its constitutional duty of ensuring free and fair elections. Accusations range from strategic postponements favouring the BJP to technical irregularities in voting data that cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the results.
Adding to this controversy are the public protests and political demands for a return to paper ballots, with several leaders suggesting that EVMs have compromised electoral integrity. These claims are not isolated; they are part of a broader pattern of growing scepticism about the credibility of electronic voting systems in India.
Below we have provided a list of such instances of disproportionate vote surges and the constituency-level irregularities that have surfaced till now. As calls for transparency and accountability grow louder, the debate over the Maharashtra elections raises fundamental questions about the health of India’s democracy and the trustworthiness of its electoral processes.
Electoral irregularities: A crisis of credibility
The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections have been marred by widespread allegations of vote discrepancies, procedural lapses, and potential manipulation of EVMs. These irregularities, some of which mentioned below, have cast a shadow over the Mahayuti alliance’s victory and raised critical questions about the integrity of the electoral process.
Issue: Unexplained vote discrepancies
- Unusual surge in votes from Lok Sabha to Assembly Elections
- In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP contested 28 seats and received 14.9 million votes. Since each parliamentary seat includes six assembly segments, this means they averaged 88,713 votes per assembly segment.
- However, in the Vidhan Sabha elections, where they contested 149 seats, the BJP’s vote count rose to 17.29 million votes, an increase of nearly 2.38 million votes.
- This translates to an average of 116,064 votes per assembly seat, showing a sudden increase of over 28,000 votes per seat compared to the Lok Sabha. Such a sharp rise is unusual and has raised concerns about potential manipulation or unexplained factors influencing the results.
फार मोठा घोटाळा केला आहे
लोकसभा २०२४ मध्ये भाजपाला २८ लोकसभा सीट लढवून 14913914 मते होती
आणि आता विधानसभा १४९ जागा लढवून 17293650 मते आहेत
म्हणजे २३ लाख मते जास्त आहेतपण विधानसभा सीट बरोबर बघत असाल तर लोकसभेला २८* ६= १६८ जागा लढवल्या
त्यांना प्रत्येक सीट मागे मतदान… pic.twitter.com/JLTIC5S5EK
— गजाभाऊ (@gajabhauX) November 24, 2024
- Discrepancies in voting and counting in 95 constituencies
- Allegations have been raised that in 19 constituencies, more votes were counted than were actually cast, suggesting the possibility of extra votes being added to EVMs.
- Furthermore, there are claims that in 76 constituencies, fewer votes were counted than cast, indicating potential tampering or technical faults.
- While in 193 constituencies, the vote counts matched the polling data, the irregularities in almost one-third of the state’s constituencies cannot be ignored.
- Detailed booth-level inspections (through Form 20) may uncover even more discrepancies, highlighting the need for an immediate and thorough investigation.
The votes ballotted and the votes counted have been found different in 95 assembly seats in Maharashtra.
Will @CEO_Maharashtra and @ECISVEEP care to explain or will this be dismissed too? pic.twitter.com/JGgEz3WO86— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) November 25, 2024
Issue: Constituency-level irregularities
- Constituencies with fewer votes counted
Regions such as Nagpur Central, Shirpur, Aurangabad West, and Baramati show significant shortfalls in the votes counted compared to those polled. This pattern suggests the possibility of EVM malfunctions, mismanagement, or intentional suppression of votes.
- Constituencies with excess votes counted
In stark contrast, areas like Aurangabad East, Vaijapur, Malegaon Central, and Boisar reported higher votes counted than recorded during polling. These anomalies suggest potential manipulation of voting machines or interference during the vote-counting process.
The votes ballotted and the votes counted have been found different in 95 assembly seats in Maharashtra.
Will @CEO_Maharashtra and @ECISVEEP care to explain or will this be dismissed too? pic.twitter.com/JGgEz3WO86— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) November 25, 2024
Issue: Allegations of EVM manipulation
- EVM anomalies and discrepant results: In Avadhan village, Congress candidate Kunal Baba Patil reportedly received zero votes, despite public protests from villagers affirming that they had voted for him. This raises critical concerns about the reliability of EVMs in accurately recording votes.
EVM Fraud ‼️
Congress candidate Kunal Baba Patil was polled 0 votes. 70% of the villagers came out to protest against ECI.
Avadhan village, Maharashtra.#BanEVM
— Priyamwada (@PriaINC) November 25, 2024
Further investigations revealed variations in vote data stored in EVMs on polling day (November 20) versus counting day (November 23). Such discrepancies point to vulnerabilities in the EVM system and the possibility of tampering during the interim period.
- Suspicious routers found near polling stations: Reports emerged of routers being discovered outside polling stations, raising alarms about potential external interference with EVM data. Police investigations are underway, but the mere presence of such devices suggests laxity in ensuring the security of election infrastructure.
यामुळे निकाल बदलतो! मतदान केंद्रा बाहेर सापडले राऊटर पोलीस तपास चालू…!
@ShivSenaUBT_
@INCMaharashtra @NCPspeaks pic.twitter.com/5Cf3kT9Lac— विवेक विनायक जाधव (@VivekJadhavOff1) November 23, 2024
Issue: Unusual voting pattern in Nanded Lok Sabha by-election
In the Nanded Lok Sabha by-election, held alongside the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Congress secured victory in the parliamentary seat but lost all six assembly segments within the same constituency.
Despite polling simultaneously, it has been provided Congress received 5.87 lakh votes for the Lok Sabha seat but only 4.27 lakh votes across the six assembly segments—a shortfall of 1,59,323 votes. This translates to an average of 26,500 Congress voters per assembly seat who seemingly switched their preference at the assembly level.
The party lost the six assembly seats by a combined margin of 1,84,597 votes, a striking contradiction to their success in the Lok Sabha seat. The anomaly raises serious questions about voter behaviour, as it seems unlikely that such a significant portion of voters would favour the BJP-led alliance for the assembly while supporting Congress in the parliamentary race.
Congress has called for an investigation into this unexpected and puzzling voting pattern.
महाराष्ट्र में विधानसभा के साथ साथ नांदेड़ लोकसभा का भी उपचुनाव था। इस लोकसभा हलके में छ: विधानसभा की सीट आती हैं।
कांग्रेस सभी छ: विधानसभा सीट हार गई है, लेकिन लोकसभा का चुनाव जीत गई है।
ऐसा इसलिए हुआ है कि लोकसभा सीट पर कांग्रेस को 1,59,323 वोट ज़्यादा मिले हैं! छ: विधानसभा… pic.twitter.com/fmeCWlbHR8
— Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) November 24, 2024
Issue: Unexplained rise in voters in Karad (South) constituency over six months:
Within the Satara Lok Sabha constituency in western Maharashtra is the Karad (South) Assembly Constituency (AC). The Lok Sabha Elections 2024, six months before saw a total voting of 1,98,633 votes. Udayanraj Bhosale got 92,814 votes and Shashikant Shinde 92,198 votes. Six months later, the Vidhan Sabha Karad South Constituency had a total voting of 2,40, 743 Votes, that is approximately 41,000 extra votes. The victorious Atul Baba Bhjosale got 1, 39,505 votes and Prithviraj Chavan 1,00,150 votes. This means that the 40,000 plus that had miraculously increased in six months (votes/voters) all went to the winning candidate!
Now, if we compare this to the 2019 data, Vidhan Sabha Karad South AC had 2,10, 436 Votes/Voters. The winning candidate Prithviraj Chavan got 92,296 votes and Bhosale 83,166 votes. Ironically the six month surge of 41,000 votes has been unmatched! Votes that have not increased in five years (Vidhan Sabha 2019 and Lok Sabha 2024) have increased in the past six months. When political parties (opposition) collect the booth-wise updated data they will be able to study where and in which booths these voters have increased and decreased. Then there may be some answers/accountability?
कराड (दक्षिण) गमतीशीर थ्रेड
१) सातारा लोकसभा अंतर्गत कराड (दक्षिण) विधानसभा मतदारसंघात 6 महिन्यापूर्वी लोकसभेला झालेलं एकूण मतदान होतं 1,98,633
(पक्ष बाजूला ठेवूया)
तिथे पडलेली मते.
उदयनराजे भोसले : 92,814
शशिकांत शिंदे : 92,1981/N pic.twitter.com/vMHji2B2Cn
— ajatashatru58 (@ajatashatru58) November 24, 2024
Opposition raises more accusation against ECI- delay in poling date, EVMs, lack of clarity
Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) accused the ECI of delaying the announcement of poll dates, giving the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance a strategic advantage. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate had criticised the timing of the elections, claiming the delay allowed the ruling coalition to launch populist schemes like the Ladki Bahin Yojana, influencing voter sentiment. Shrinate expressed her disappointment with the results, noting, “Our campaign was strong, but maybe the public expects more from us. We will deliver on those expectations.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut went further, questioning the legitimacy of the results. He remarked, “This is not the people’s mandate. Something is fishy in these election results.” Raut cited the disproportionate seat distribution—BJP securing 125 seats, Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction 40, and Shinde’s Shiv Sena 60—as improbable, suggesting that such an outcome did not align with public sentiment. He demanded a re-election using paper ballots, saying, “Let this result stay, but conduct the election again with paper ballots, and then show us the same result.”
The integrity of EVMs has come under intense scrutiny, with many of the opposition leaders citing them as a central issue in the election’s credibility:
- Discrepancies in counting:
- Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) leader Fahad Ahmad accused the BJP of manipulating results in Anushakti Nagar. He claimed he was leading after 17 rounds of counting, but EVMs with 99% charge showed his opponent, Sana Malik, leading after additional rounds. Ahmad alleged that this discrepancy indicated deliberate tampering.
- Similar complaints were raised in other constituencies, with many pointing out irregularities in vote tallies between polling day and counting day.
After round 16 and a steady lead in all rounds.. EVM machines that were 99% charged were opened and BJP supported NCP Ajit Pawar candidate took a lead .. @ECISVEEP @SpokespersonECI this is rank manipulation. We demand a recount of rounds 16, 17, 18 and 19. pic.twitter.com/Z2JuUyIQqc
— Fahad Ahmad (@FahadZirarAhmad) November 23, 2024
2. Broader criticism of EVM reliability:
- Congress leader Udit Raj bluntly stated, “As long as there are EVMs, elections cannot be fair.” He argued that the trends in Maharashtra clearly indicated tampering, attributing the BJP’s victory to the EVM system rather than a genuine mandate.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi echoed these concerns, stating that people repeatedly warned about EVM vulnerabilities during the campaign. “A question mark definitely arises on these elections,” she said.
3.Calls for paper ballot reforms:
- Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu joined the chorus of critics, urging a return to paper ballots for future elections. His stance aligns with concerns raised by Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who highlighted the potential security risks of electronic voting systems.
Electoral system under scrutiny
Rising doubts about the credibility of the ECI have intensified as opposition leaders question its impartiality. People have argued that the institution appears to favour the ruling party, with its decisions allegedly timed and tailored to bolster the BJP’s chances. The delay in poll announcements is viewed as a strategic manoeuvre to allow Mahayuti leaders to roll out last-minute voter-wooing schemes.
In addition to administrative biases, opposition parties allege that EVMs were compromised to alter the outcomes. Discrepancies in vote tallies in 95 constituencies—where some EVMs recorded more votes than polled and others fewer—have raised suspicions of large-scale manipulation. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut remarked, “They have done some ‘gadbad’ (mess). They have stolen some of our seats.”
There are far too many questions being raised about discrepancy between votes polled and counted and there are even video clips of villagers apparently protesting. It is the @ECISVEEP’s duty as a tax payer funded organisation to put all public doubts to rest. This involves the…
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) November 25, 2024
Impact on public trust and democracy
The controversy surrounding the Maharashtra elections has shaken public confidence in the electoral system. The ECI’s perceived partisanship and refusal to address these concerns transparently further erode faith in the democratic process. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut encapsulated this sentiment, saying, “The people of Maharashtra are not dishonest. This outcome does not reflect their will.”
Amid these allegations, demands for accountability and transparency have grown louder:
- Re-election with paper ballots: Opposition leaders insist that reverting to manual voting is essential to restore credibility.
- Independent audit of EVMs: A forensic analysis of EVM discrepancies in key constituencies could uncover potential tampering.
- ECI’s role under question: The commission’s failure to provide satisfactory explanations for delays, EVM anomalies, and voter grievances has drawn widespread criticism. As a taxpayer-funded body, the ECI is expected to uphold neutrality and public trust.
Related:
UP by-elections: Reports of serious disturbances and disruption of voters