EC refutes opposition’s claims on Maharashtra voter list

The Election Commission (EC) has dismissed allegations raised by opposition parties regarding discrepancies in Maharashtra’s electoral rolls, calling them unfounded and unsupported by official data.

During the winter session of Parliament, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded a detailed debate on the accuracy of electoral rolls. The Congress and its allies alleged duplication of Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers and claimed that nearly three million new voters had been added in Maharashtra between 2019 and 2024. Similar accusations were echoed by the Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi.

However, EC sources say the allegations are not backed by any formal process. “Hardly any first or second appeals were made under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, or corrections under Sections 22 and 23 during the Special Summary Revision published on January 6–7, 2025,” the sources said.

The Special Summary Revision (SSR) is conducted before elections to update the rolls by adding new voters, including those who have turned 18 or changed constituencies, and removing deceased or duplicate entries. Despite the presence of over 13.8 million Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nationwide, only 89 appeals were filed in Maharashtra.

“With so few appeals, there is no option but to accept the electoral rolls published after the completion of the SSR in January 2025 as undisputed by all,” the source added.

The EC also emphasized that Section 24 of the RP Act was introduced in 1961—“much before the current Chief Election Commissioner was even born”—and that the legal process to challenge entries was not followed. “If anyone says that Electoral Rolls on which voting has been held is not correct, they have not even cared to follow the election law as proposed by the Government in 1961 and passed by the Parliament in 1961,” the source said.

With elections due in Bihar and other states in the coming months, the issue is expected to resurface. Nevertheless, the EC reiterated that the duplication of EPIC numbers does not “imply duplicate/fake voters” and has released data to support its stance.