New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a detailed and pointed response to the Congress’ allegations regarding a sharp surge in voter turnout during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. The statement, coming after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed Rahul Gandhi’s concerns in a public post, dismisses the claims as unfounded and politically motivated, while also questioning the procedural conduct of the Congress leadership.

Sources within the ECI said that despite making serious public allegations, Rahul Gandhi has not approached the Commission formally. “Even after two days of making his baseless assertions, Rahul Gandhi has not sent any complaint or letter, nor has he requested an appointment to meet the ECI. Why?” the source asked.

Sources described the silence as a lack of intent to engage constructively.

The Commission clarified that the Congress party had already received a formal reply to its earlier queries on December 24, 2024. This response, according to the ECI, is publicly available on its official website, contradicting claims of a lack of transparency.

Refuting the charges of deliberate opacity in the electoral roll process, the ECI advised District Congress Presidents to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) at every polling booth and actively participate in the annual process of electoral roll updates, sources said. The Commission sources added that it has been conducting training programmes for BLAs of all political parties at its dedicated training institute and encouraged the Congress to make full use of these opportunities to avoid any “misconceptions”.

The sources further asserted that if the Congress chooses not to engage in the roll revision process, it should at least trust the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) appointed by the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) under Section 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. These officials, the ECI sources noted, function as part of a statutory framework to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the electoral rolls.

The EC sources also reminded the public that the preparation of electoral rolls, conduct of polls, and counting of votes are overseen by statutory authorities such as the ERO, Presiding Officer (PRO), and Returning Officer (RO), all of whom work under the ECI’s constitutional mandate under Article 324. Ultimately, it stressed, it is the voters who decide the outcome of elections, not the administrative process.

In a strongly worded final remark, ECI sources took aim at what they described as a pattern of political deflection by the Congress. They said any party preparing for electoral outcomes should do so in the political domain, not by “fighting the referee”.

The Commission sources concluded, “The electors of India are intelligent enough to understand why the INC (Indian National Congress) keeps fighting the referee whenever it loses an election.”

–IANS

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