Election Commission Rebukes Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations of Electoral Misconduct in Maharashtra
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a sharp rebuttal to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent allegations regarding electoral malpractice during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Dismissing Gandhi’s claims as “absolutely absurd,” the Commission strongly condemned what it described as an attempt to malign the integrity of India’s democratic process after an unfavorable electoral outcome.
In a scathing response, the Election Commission said that Gandhi’s accusations — where he likened the Maharashtra election to “match-fixing” and called it a “blueprint for rigging democracy” — were baseless and deeply disrespectful to the thousands of individuals who participate in ensuring free and fair elections across the country.
“Such misinformation brings disrepute to the countless political party representatives and demoralizes lakhs of election staff who put in tireless efforts to execute this enormous democratic exercise,” ECI sources said.
They further described Gandhi’s remarks about alleged irregularities in Maharashtra’s electoral rolls as “an affront to the rule of law.”
Political Fallout and BJP’s Retort
Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, made in a published article, suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may replicate in Bihar and other states what he called the Maharashtra “template,” in areas where the BJP fears electoral defeat. His comments have triggered widespread criticism from BJP leaders and allies.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lashed out at Gandhi, stating, “Rahul Gandhi has already accepted his defeat in Bihar.
The Congress will never win elections as long as it keeps living in denial. His remarks are an insult to the voters of Maharashtra, and I strongly condemn this behavior.”
Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the Maharashtra BJP president, attributed the opposition’s poor performance to overconfidence following their Lok Sabha success.
“After winning 31 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, the MVA alliance grew complacent and ignored the fundamentals of electoral campaigning, such as door-to-door outreach and connecting with the masses,” he said.
Bawankule also countered Gandhi’s claims by highlighting voter data trends. “In 2009, the voter count for the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra was 7.29 crore, and for the Assembly polls later that year, it rose to 7.59 crore — an increase of 30 lakh voters.
At that time, Congress was in power both at the Centre and in the state. So, how can this natural increase now be portrayed as manipulation?”
He emphasized that the Election Commission had undertaken extensive door-to-door registration drives, both in 2009 and in the current election cycle, following due procedures.
Bawankule added, “Rahul Gandhi is avoiding the developmental discourse led by Prime Minister Modi. His continuous search for excuses shows that he has not moved on from the shadow of electoral defeat.”
National Leaders Join the Criticism
Union Minister Chirag Paswan also weighed in on the controversy, accusing Gandhi of preemptively laying the groundwork to rationalize future defeats. “They are looking for scapegoats because they anticipate a loss in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
First, they blamed Electronic Voting Machines. Now, they’ve invented a new excuse. Instead of reflecting on why the people are rejecting them, they’re indulging in conspiracy theories,” he said.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey went a step further, invoking historical precedent and attacking the Congress party’s legacy. “Rahul Gandhi should revisit the conduct of his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, during the 1971 elections.
The Allahabad High Court judgment detailed misuse of government resources, including the deployment of army helicopters, mass distribution of liquor and clothing, religious appeals, and even the use of government vehicles to ferry voters.”
Dubey added, “Today, Rahul Gandhi tries to question the integrity of the election process, but it was his party that normalized electoral malpractice decades ago.
The days of manipulating elections at will are over. India’s democracy has matured, and the people will no longer tolerate such attempts to delegitimize it.”
The controversy sparked by Rahul Gandhi’s remarks has brought into sharp focus the larger debate over electoral credibility and political accountability.
While the Election Commission has firmly stood by the transparency of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the political fallout suggests that the issue may continue to resonate in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly polls and beyond.
As political tensions escalate, the credibility of democratic institutions — and the willingness of political leaders to respect electoral mandates — remains under the spotlight.
