Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP of ‘Match-Fixing’ Maharashtra Polls, Alleges Massive Electoral Fraud and Institutional Capture
Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reignited a fierce political controversy by levelling fresh allegations of extensive electoral manipulation during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
In a detailed commentary published in the Indian Express, Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating what he described as an “industrial-scale rigging operation,” likening the entire electoral process to a “fixed match” facilitated by the subversion of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Gandhi, who has repeatedly raised concerns about the erosion of democratic institutions under the Modi government, claimed that the BJP’s unprecedented victory in Maharashtra was not the result of a genuine electoral mandate but the outcome of a coordinated and institutionalised effort to tamper with voter data, voter lists, and the electoral process itself.
“This is not about minor errors or irregularities. I am referring to a large-scale, systemic manipulation of our electoral machinery, which undermines the very foundation of our democracy,” Gandhi wrote.
“The fixing side might win the game, but in doing so, they cause irreversible damage to institutions and erode the public’s faith in the democratic process.”
Voter List Anomalies and a ‘Statistical Mirage’
Central to Gandhi’s argument is the dramatic and allegedly inexplicable increase in the number of registered voters in Maharashtra between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections — a leap that he believes raises serious red flags about electoral integrity.
According to Gandhi, Maharashtra’s voter roll for the 2019 Assembly elections stood at 8.98 crore. This number increased to 9.29 crore for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, held in May, a growth of approximately 31 lakh over five years.
However, within just five months, the voter list ballooned to 9.70 crore for the Assembly elections held in November 2024 — an extraordinary increase of 41 lakh voters.
“A crawl of 31 lakh in five years, and then a sudden leap of 41 lakh in just five months defies all logic,” Gandhi wrote.
“So staggering is this rise that the number of registered voters — 9.70 crore — actually exceeds Maharashtra’s estimated adult population of 9.54 crore, as per official government data.
This means we had more voters than adults. How is that even possible?”
He termed this voter list inflation as the cornerstone of the BJP’s “match-fixing strategy,” asserting that these additional voters were not real, but fictitious names added to influence results in favour of the ruling party.
Electoral Commissioners Act and Institutional Capture
Gandhi further argued that this manipulation was made possible through changes in legislation and the weakening of institutional checks and balances.
He specifically cited the controversial Election Commissioners Appointment Act of 2023, which replaced the Chief Justice of India with a Union cabinet minister on the selection panel for election commissioners — a move that many critics argue undermines the neutrality and independence of the EC.
“The removal of the Chief Justice from the panel and the inclusion of a cabinet minister undermines the very spirit of impartiality that the Election Commission must uphold.
This was the first step in BJP’s systematic capture of electoral institutions,” he said.
Targeted Voter Turnout and Dubious Voting Patterns
Delving deeper into the mechanics of the alleged fraud, Gandhi pointed to what he called “targeted bonus voting” — a suspicious pattern in the final hours of voting in select constituencies.
He claimed that out of the 1 lakh polling booths across Maharashtra, most of the suspicious additions were concentrated in approximately 12,000 booths spread across 85 constituencies — areas where the BJP had performed poorly in the Lok Sabha elections earlier that year.
In these booths, an average of 600 additional votes appeared to have been cast after 5 PM, which he argued was logistically impossible.
“Assuming each voter takes one minute to cast their ballot, it would take 10 continuous hours of voting to process 600 voters at a single booth.
However, voting never extended for that long in these locations. So, how were the extra votes cast?” he questioned. “It’s not just improbable — it’s statistically and operationally impossible unless there was tampering.”
Gandhi sarcastically compared the BJP’s success in these constituencies to legendary cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, who had an average of 99.94, suggesting the party had achieved a superhuman electoral strike rate.
“The NDA’s success rate in these 85 seats was an unprecedented 89 per cent — a number that should raise eyebrows, not celebrations. Such strike rates are the stuff of cricketing legends, not democratic elections,” he remarked.
Refusal to Share Voter Rolls and Digital Evidence
In what Gandhi described as the “final nail” in the credibility of the 2024 elections, he alleged that the Election Commission refused to share voter rolls containing photographs, both during the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections — a move that prevented political parties from independently verifying the authenticity of voters on the ground.
He further alleged that the central government amended Section 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, thereby restricting access to CCTV footage and electronic records from polling booths.
According to Gandhi, this change was made solely to circumvent a High Court ruling that had previously ordered disclosure of such materials to ensure transparency.
“By amending the rules, the BJP ensured that no one could challenge the authenticity of what transpired in those polling booths.
This is not the act of a party confident in its popular support — it is the act of a party that has something to hide,” he said.
A Threat to Democracy Itself
Gandhi concluded his piece by reiterating his core argument — that what transpired in Maharashtra was not an isolated incident, but a blueprint for electoral manipulation that could be replicated in other states, including Bihar, where Assembly elections are scheduled next.
He urged citizens, institutions, and political stakeholders to wake up to the threat posed by what he called the “sophisticated rigging machinery” of the ruling party.
“The purpose of democracy is to reflect the will of the people. If elections themselves are being subverted, then we are no longer a democracy in the true sense. We are becoming a democracy only in name, hollowed out from within,” he warned.
