Gandhi Accuses ECI of Evasion, Demands Transparency in Maharashtra Polls

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, has challenged the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its handling of allegations regarding the Maharashtra elections. Gandhi expressed his disapproval of the ECI’s response, labeling it as evasive and urging the commission to address serious questions. He emphasized the need for the ECI to demonstrate transparency by releasing critical data, including consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for recent elections and post-5 pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. The ECI had previously refuted Gandhi’s claims, describing them as unsubstantiated and accusing him of spreading misinformation. In a statement, the ECI stated that it had already provided detailed explanations regarding the electoral rolls in a previous response. Gandhi, in his social media post, alleged that the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections were ‘rigged,’ hinting at a potential repeat in the upcoming Bihar elections. Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde dismissed Gandhi’s allegations as a ‘fake narrative,’ highlighting the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s success in the Lok Sabha elections.