Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday renewed his allegations of “vote theft” against the BJP and the Election Commission, citing changes in electoral rolls in Maharashtra and West Bengal. Gandhi alleged that the BJP and what he termed the “Vote Theft Commission” continued to change their tactics with the objective of securing the ruling party’s victory. Referring to Maharashtra, he claimed that 39 lakh new voters were added between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and reiterated his allegation that the increase amounted to “vote theft”.
Questions Maharashtra voter rolls
Gandhi also questioned the exclusion of around 2.07 crore electors from Maharashtra’s draft electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). He pointed to variations in the electorate — 9.29 crore during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, around 9.7 crore during the Assembly elections and about 7.78 crore following the 2026 revision — and asked which electoral roll was correct.
More than 2.06 crore electors, or around 21 per cent of Maharashtra’s previous voter base, did not figure in the draft roll. Election authorities have said the figure should not be treated as the final number of deletions, as the draft is subject to a claims and objections process. Officials said uncollectable enumeration forms included cases involving deceased voters, those who had shifted or could not be traced, duplicate registrations and other categories.
Eligible electors whose names are missing can seek inclusion during the claims and objections period, which runs until September 30. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on November 4.
Cites Bengal SIR
Gandhi also referred to the SIR conducted in West Bengal, claiming that 91 per cent of names initially removed were subsequently restored following appeals. He alleged that this meant nine out of every 10 such names had been wrongly excluded before being reinstated after the election.
The Congress leader accused the BJP of disregarding the electorate and maintained that the developments in Maharashtra and Bengal reinforced his broader allegations over the integrity of electoral rolls. The Election Commission has repeatedly rejected allegations questioning the integrity of the electoral process.