Rahul Gandhi Demands Transparency from ECI, Cites Maharashtra Polls

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has challenged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publicly release voter rolls and CCTV footage related to the Maharashtra assembly elections, following the ECI’s response to his claims of electoral rigging. Gandhi criticized the ECI for issuing unsigned notes instead of directly addressing the questions he raised. He specifically requested the ECI to publish consolidated, digital, and machine-readable voter rolls for recent Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in all states, including Maharashtra, and to release all post-5 PM CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. The ECI had previously dismissed Gandhi’s allegations as ‘unsubstantiated’, asserting that they had already addressed the issues in a reply to the Indian National Congress (INC) on December 24, 2024, available on its website. The ECI also accused Gandhi of spreading misinformation and attempting to defame the commission. Gandhi’s allegations centered on the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, which he described as a ‘blueprint for rigging democracy,’ and he expressed concern that similar tactics might be employed in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde responded to Gandhi’s claims by stating the public of Maharashtra would reject the accusations.