Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi speaks
in the House during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Monday,
Feb. 3, 2024. (Sansad TV via PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI — Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that about 70
lakh voters, equivalent to Himachal Pradesh's population, were added to the
electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state elections, and
demanded the Election Commission furnish data to opposition parties in the
state.
Speaking to the Motion of Thanks on the President's
address, Gandhi raised several questions over the integrity of the Maharashtra
polls held in November last year in which the BJP-led Mahayuti won a massive
mandate, and said he was confident the EC would not provide the details sought
by the opposition parties.
With a copy of the Constitution in hand, Gandhi said this
is supported by the "vote of our people and without a secure vote, the
Constitution means nothing".
"Now, I want to bring to the notice of this House
some data about Maharashtra polls. Between the Lok Sabha polls, which the INDIA
bloc won, and the assembly elections, the number equivalent to the population
of Himachal was added to the voting rolls of Maharashtra," Gandhi told the
House, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.
Gandhi claimed that the difference between the Lok Sabha
polls in June and the state polls in November was that almost 70 lakh voters
suddenly arriving.
"More voters were added in Maharashtra in five
months between the Lok Sabha and assembly polls than in five years," the
former Congress president said.
Citing an example, he claimed that in a building in
Shirdi, about 7,000 new voters were added after the Lok Sabha polls.
"I am not making an allegation, I am only saying
that there is something problematic that the population equivalent to that of
Himachal was added in Maharashtra through magic after the Lok Sabha
polls," Gandhi said.
"We have requested the Election commission
repeatedly that we are not making an allegation, 'give us the Lok Sabha voters'
list and that of the Vidhan Sabha...we are saying to the EC that 'please give
us names and addresses of voters of all booths from the Lok Sabha elections and
the assembly elections', so we can calculate who these voters are," Gandhi
said.
He said the new voters have been added mostly in
constituencies where the BJP eventually won.
"I am still not making an allegation. I am saying on
the floor of the House that the EC has to give the data of Maharashtra elections
to the Congress, Shiv Sen (UBT) and NCP (SC)," Gandhi said, adding that
the opposition will get to see exactly where these voters have been added and
who has been subtracted.
He said the Election Commissioner used to be chosen by a
committee comprising the prime minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the
chief justice but the chief Justice was removed from the panel by the
government.
"This raises a crucial question for the Prime
Minister: why was this change made?In a few days, I will be attending a meeting
with Mr. Amit Shah and Mr. Modi, which seems like an uneven playing field, with
a 2:1 ratio. What's the point of my attendance? Am I merely there to
rubber-stamp what Modi ji and Amit Shah ji say?" he said.
The presence of the Chief Justice would have facilitated
a more balanced discussion, he said, adding this change to remove the CJI
appears to be a deliberate strategy.
"Furthermore, the Election Commissioner was replaced
just before the Lok Sabha elections, two election commissioners were appointed.
To safeguard the Constitution, the entire Opposition is requesting data on the
Maharashtra Election," Gandhi said.
Gandhi's address was centred around on what an INDIA bloc
government's presidential address would look like.
"The third element of the presidential address would
be a determining the defence of India's institutions, democratic system, a
re-look at the entire democratic framework and looking again at all the
institutions that have been taken away from the people of India," Gandhi
said.
His remarks in the Lower House came a day after the
Congress set up an eight-member committee -- Empowered Action Group of Leaders
and Experts (EAGLE) -- to monitor the conduct of free and fair elections by the
Election Commission of India.
The committee will first take up the Maharashtra voters'
list "manipulation" issue, and submit a detailed report to the
leadership at the earliest, the party had said in a statement.
Gandhi had last month alleged that there is a
"serious problem" with the country's election system and that the
Election Commission needs to ensure there is transparency in polls.
Maintaining that "something wrong" has taken
place in the Maharashtra assembly elections, he had said the Congress and the
opposition have been asking for voter lists of Maharashtra and Haryana
elections, which the EC is refusing to provide.
He had demanded that the EC come clean on the issue.
