Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 22 (ANI): Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on Tuesday raised concerns about the fairness of the electoral process specifically regarding discrepancies in voter data, particularly in Maharashtra.
This came following Congress top brass Rahul Gandhi’s remark at the Election Commission during his US visit, where he alleged that the EC in India was “compromised”, stating that there was something fundamentally wrong with the system.
Shrinate added that despite the adult population in Maharashtra being 9.54 crores, 9.70 crores of people reportedly cast their votes.
She pointed out that over the last five years, 32 lakh new voters had been added, and in just five months, 49 lakh voters had been added, questioning the authenticity of the process.
“Do you think free and fair elections are taking place in this country?” In Maharashtra, where the adult population is 9.54 crore, how can 9.70 crore people cast their votes? In the last 5 years, 32 lakh voters were added, and in 5 months, 49 lakh voters were added,” she said.
The Congress leader further criticised the Election Commission for denying requests for videography of the election process and changing the rules, which, she argued, raised doubts about the integrity of the country’s electoral system.
“When we asked for videography, the Election Commission denied it and also changed the rules… There are a lot of things that raise concerns about the election process of the country,” Shrinate added.
Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the Election Commission in Boston, US, had sparked large controversy, with the Congress party and its allies defending the Lok Sabha LoP’s remarks while the BJP countered that he was targeting the institutions established under the Constitution.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stated that Rahul Gandhi’s concerns over the inclusion of “fake voters” in the voter list are genuine.
“Rahul Gandhi has alleged that many fake voters were made to participate in the Maharashtra elections by the ruling party. Rahul Gandhi clearly stated the figures, but his complaints have not been taken into consideration by the Election Commission. His complaints are valid, and the ruling party should answer,” Chowdhury said.
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “In Haryana, many votes increased between the Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections. There is only one way – to hold elections by ballot.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray also came out in support of the Congress MP, terming his statement as “100 per cent correct”.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also supported the remarks made by Gandhi during his address to the Indian diaspora in Boston and stated that he had “given facts in his speech”.
Meanwhile, the BJP launched scathing attacks on Rahul Gandhi over his remarks.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused him of tarnishing India’s democratic image on international platforms, stating that it was “very sad” that Gandhi spreads “lies” about India’s constitutional institutions while overseas, claiming his actions reflect the frustration of repeated electoral defeats.
BJP National spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Monday took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and said that his aim was to humiliate Indian organisations and institutions on foreign soil. (ANI)
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