New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): During the winter session of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called for a detailed discussion on the electoral rolls.
The Congress and its allies had alleged discrepancies in the Maharashtra voter list for the 2024 assembly elections and claimed duplication of Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers. Prior to this, Rahul Gandhi had also alleged that nearly 3 million voters were added to the electoral rolls of Maharashtra between 2019 and 2024.
Similar allegations of incorrect or manipulated voter rolls were also made by the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi.
Now, sources in the Election Commission (EC) have said that the allegations were made without factual basis. According to the sources, hardly any first or second appeals were made under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, or for correction of any entries in the electoral rolls (Section 22) or inclusion (Section 23), during the recent Special Summary Revision (SSR) published on January 6–7, 2025.
The SSR involves reviewing the voter list and unveiling a draft electoral roll. It is typically conducted before elections to ensure a just and transparent voting process by adding newly eligible voters—including those who have reached 18 years of age or changed their constituency—and by eliminating duplicate or deceased voters.
According to EC sources, just 89 appeals were recorded in Maharashtra. While there were 13,857,359 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in the country, only 89 appeals for changes in the electoral rolls were made.
Therefore, the EC contends, the electoral rolls published after the completion of the SSR in January 2025 must be accepted as undisputed by all.
Sources in the EC further noted that Section 24 of the RP Act, 1950, was added on September 20, 1961—well before the birth of the current Chief Election Commissioner.
“If anyone claims that the electoral rolls used for voting are incorrect, they have not even attempted to follow the election law established by the government and passed by Parliament in 1961,” the sources added.
With elections due in Bihar and other states in the coming months, opposition parties are likely to continue raising the issue. However, the EC, which has previously stated that duplication of EPIC numbers does not “imply duplicate/fake voters,” has stood its ground and released data to substantiate its position.
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