Mumbai, June 12 (IANS) The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S. Chockalingam, on Thursday, in a clarification to the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of rigging and match fixing in the state Assembly elections held last year, said that the gross addition of voters from 2019 Assembly election to 2024 Lok Sabha election was 1.39 crore and addition from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to 2024 Assembly polls was 48.82 lakh.

“There was a net increase of 32.25 lakh voters from 2019 Assembly elections to 2024 Lok Sabha elections on account of 1.39 crore additions and 1.07 crore deletions. Total addition between 2024 Lok Sabha elections to 2024 Assembly elections was 48.82 lakh and deletion was 8 lakh. Hence, net addition in voters after 2024 Lok Sabha elections was 40.81 lakh. More than 26 lakh of the additions were young voters in the age group of 18 to 29 years,” the CEO said.

With regard to alarming claims made by Rahul Gandhi regarding addition or deletion of voters in electoral rolls, the CEO said, “It is clarified that Indian electoral laws do not provide for any centralised addition or deletion of voters. As per the provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, 1950, and Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the electoral rolls were prepared polling station wise by 288 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), spread across the state, after field verification by nearly one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and active sharing of information with political parties, including Congress, with ample opportunities to file objections and appeals. Any addition/deletion/modification in electoral rolls happens through individual statutory forms filed by eligible persons.”

“Just before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, in August 2024, special summary revision of the electoral rolls was conducted and a copy of the draft and final electoral rolls (in soft and hard copy) for each of around one lakh polling stations was handed over to all recognised political parties, including Congress, for giving claims and objections. The data about additions given in the article about Maharashtra is misleading,” Chockalingam added.

Regarding the issue of number of voters being more than projected adult population, the CEO said that any population projection through a statistical tool cannot be a basis for stopping or allowing addition or deletions in the electoral roll, as registration of voters is done based on the actual individual forms received from the public, field verification and decision taken on each form by ERO, with sharing of information with all recognised political parties at every step, as per the prescribed statutory procedure.

“During revision of electoral roll, booth level agents (BLAs) of every recognised political party are involved on a day-to-day basis. Congress appointed 28,421 BLAs in Maharashtra. No serious objection was raised by any BLA of Congress or by candidates of Congress till election results were declared. It was only after the results that Congress is raising this issue,” he added.

“Electoral rolls are revised annually through a participatory exercise. During this annual exercise, the electoral rolls are shared, free of cost, with recognised political parties, including Congress, first at draft stage and second time after its finalisation. Similar exercise was done in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024 and copies of such electoral rolls were then shared with the Congress party as well as with other political parties. A complete copy of the electoral roll used to conduct 2024 Assembly elections is also available on the website for public to freely download. Under Rule 33 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, any person, including representative of Congress, can apply to the concerned District Election Officer and get a copy of such retained electoral rolls, on payment of prescribed fee,” the CEO said.

He added that he has already mentioned statutory position with order dated May 22, 2025, to the Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who had sought a copy of electoral rolls.

These copies of the electoral rolls were already provided to the Congress at the time of revision, the CEO said.

–IANS

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