In a scathing letter to the Election Commission, Congress accused the body of avoiding scrutiny over alleged voter list manipulation in Maharashtra. The party points to a spike in new electors and turnout as grounds for alarm and demands access to crucial electoral data within a week.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, June 26, 2025 — The All India Congress Committee (AICC), through its Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE), has issued a formal letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding urgent disclosure of electoral data and polling-day footage pertaining to the 2024 Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections.
The letter, dated June 25 and addressed to Shri Ashwani Kumar Mohal, Secretary of the ECI Secretariat, is a response to the Commission’s earlier communication sent on June 12 to the Hon. Leader of the Opposition, Shri Rahul Gandhi. Congress’s latest move intensifies pressure on the ECI to respond substantively to longstanding concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
Congress Flags “Statistically Impossible” Voter Surge
In its letter, Congress—represented by senior leaders Ajay Maken, Digvijaya Singh, Abhishek Singhvi, Praveen Chakravarty, Pawan Khera, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Nitin Raut, and Vamshi Chand Reddy—highlighted what it described as “a massive and inexplicable surge” in voter registration between the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the November 2024 Maharashtra assembly polls. According to the party, more new voters were added in that six-month window than in the previous five years combined.
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This unprecedented increase, they claim, defies both electoral logic and demographic trends. In addition, Congress flagged another anomaly: an unusual spike in voter turnout after 5 PM on polling day—an occurrence that, if unexplained, raises suspicions of manipulation or misreporting.
“We request you to provide us the machine-readable, digital copy of the Maharashtra voter lists and video footage of polling day of Maharashtra and Haryana within a week from the date of this letter. This has been a long- standing request which should be easy to comply for the… pic.twitter.com/oS885FmNJ0
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 26, 2025
Persistent Demands Ignored, Says Congress
The party expressed frustration over what it describes as repeated evasions by the ECI. Despite submitting requests since December 2024 through official letters, petitions, press briefings, and parliamentary debates, Congress alleges the ECI has failed to provide a machine-readable, digital copy of the final voter rolls for both the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.
The EAGLE group also reiterated its demand for polling-day video surveillance footage for both Maharashtra and Haryana. According to Congress, such footage should be readily available and easily shared by the Commission to ensure transparency and public confidence.
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Allegations of Deflection and Evasion
The letter sharply criticizes the ECI’s responses to previous requests, accusing it of offering procedural justifications and engaging in blame-shifting rather than addressing the specific concerns. “Instead of responding directly, the Commission continues to cite voter addition protocols and deflect responsibility to political parties,” the letter reads.
Congress argues that the ECI’s reluctance to provide basic electoral data not only undermines democratic transparency but may also cast doubt on the credibility of the results.
The party has offered to meet the Election Commission shortly after receiving the requested materials, during which it plans to present a comprehensive analysis of the data anomalies. Congress stressed that its intention is to cooperate constructively, not antagonistically, and emphasized its historical role in building India’s democratic institutions.
Reaffirming its commitment to electoral integrity, the letter calls on the ECI to “restore the confidence of India’s billion voters and political stakeholders,” especially as public trust in institutions is tested by rising concerns over fairness and accountability.
Background: Why the Voter List Matters
A machine-readable version of the voter list would allow independent experts and political parties to analyze electoral patterns and detect possible irregularities—such as duplicate entries, ineligible voters, or unusual clustering. Without access to such data, meaningful scrutiny is nearly impossible.
In past elections, similar demands for transparency have led to reforms such as voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs). Congress argues that this is the next logical step toward reinforcing electoral credibility.
