Rahul Gandhi Calls for Parliamentary Debate on Electoral Roll Irregularities

In a high-stakes political showdown, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stepped up to the parliamentary mic on Monday, calling for a full-on debate over the voter roll discrepancies. Citing glaring issues in Maharashtra’s voter list for the 2024 assembly polls including duplicated EPIC numbers—Gandhi made it clear that the opposition isn’t backing down.

In the Lok Sabha arena, Gandhi fired off his challenge: “The entire opposition is demanding a detailed discussion on the voter list. It’s been over a month since I flagged these irregularities in Maharashtra,” he declared, setting the stage for a must-watch contest on electoral transparency.

Gandhi and his Congress teammates had already raised red flags last month. They pointed out that in just five months leading up to the 2024 assembly polls, the number of new voters in Maharashtra ballooned to figures that should normally take five years overshooting even the state’s total adult population. It was a move that left many scratching their heads, much like an unexpected game-changing play.

Adding fuel to the fire, West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) came into the fray, accusing the Election Commission (ECI) of “planting fake voters” for the BJP. TMC pressed the commission to address the issue within 24 hours, but the silence from the ECI has only intensified the debate. While the ECI maintained that duplicate EPIC numbers don’t automatically signal fake voters, critics aren’t ready to call the play over.

Gandhi emphasized that the call for transparency remains unanswered. “The same questions are still on the field today. Now, fresh evidence of duplicate names in the voter list has surfaced, sparking even more serious concerns. This discussion is crucial to protect our democratic values and the Constitution,” he stated.

During the heated exchange, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla queried whether the government is responsible for crafting the voter list. Gandhi agreed, but stressed that the issue is a nationwide concern. “I know you don’t create the list, but we need to have this discussion,” he responded, urging a team effort to tackle the problem.

Not to be outdone, TMC’s Kalyana Banerjee called for a full debate on the faulty voter list. With ten TMC members scheduled to meet Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday over the duplicate EPIC numbers, the opposition is clearly positioning itself as a key player in this unfolding match.

Backing up his challenge with hard numbers, Gandhi recalled that in February he highlighted a startling discrepancy: 3.2 million voters were added in Maharashtra over five years between the 2019 assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, but a staggering 3.9 million were added in just five months between the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections an addition roughly equal to the entire voter base of Himachal Pradesh. He questioned, “Who are these 3.9 million voters? Why does Maharashtra now boast more voters than its adult population? It’s as if new voters were suddenly created.” He also accused the BJP of capitalizing on these new additions, alleging that voters from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and minority communities were being sidelined.

In response, the ECI reaffirmed its stance from February, emphasizing that it values feedback from political parties and the electorate alike, and promised a detailed written response outlining their full procedural framework. As the political match continues, all eyes will be on the upcoming debates, with voters and opposition alike eager to see if the ECI can clear the air or if this controversy will keep the contest in extra time.