In view of the recent article published by the opposition leader regarding the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Election Commission has clarified that even after the assembly elections in November 2024, the Indian National Congress (INC) had raised similar issues even when the Election Commission (ECI) had given detailed reply to INC on 24 December 2024. A copy of the answer is still available on the Commission’s website. However, the Commission has considered it necessary to clarify the same questions and issues once again.
The article makes shocking claims about adding or removing the names of voters in electoral rolls. On this, the Commission has again clarified that Indian election laws do not make provisions to add or remove any centralized names of electors. According to the provisions of the Public Representation Act, 1950 and Electoral Registration Rules 1960, after actively sharing information with political parties including area verification and Congress on behalf of about one lakh booth level officers (BLOs), there were sufficient opportunities to register objections and appeals from 288 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) spread across the state. Adding/removing/amending any name in electoral rolls is through individual statutory forms filled by eligible persons.
Election Commission replied
The Election Commission said that just before the Maharashtra Assembly elections in August 2024, special brief revision of electoral rolls was done and a copy of the draft and final electoral rolls for about one lakh polling stations (in soft and hard copy) was handed over to all recognized political parties to register claims and objections, including the Indian National Congress (INC).
According to the Commission, the figures given in the article about Maharashtra are misleading. The real outline is given below:
Due to the increase of 1.39 crore new electors from the assembly elections 2019 to the Lok Sabha elections from 2024, and the names of 1.07 crore new electors were removed, the number of electors increased a pure (NET) (NET) increase of 32.25 lakhs.
A total of 48.82 lakh electoral people were connected between 2024 and assembly elections 2024 and 8 lakh electors were removed. Thus, after the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the pure growth of the electors was 40.81 lakh. More than 26 lakh voters added are young people aged 18 to 29 years.
Thus, the total number of electors was 1.39 crore from the assembly elections 2019 to the Lok Sabha elections from 2024 and the total number of electors added from Lok Sabha 2024 to Assembly 2024 was 48.82 lakhs.
‘Congress raising this issue after election results’
The Commission said, “As far as, the issue of high number of electors from the estimated adult population is related, no population estimates can be the basis of preventing or allowing the name from adding or removing the name in the electoral roll through a statistical means, because the registration of the electors is made on the basis of every step on every form on every form, the real personal form, field verification and ERO on every form, which is made on the basis of every form on every form. But information is shared with all recognized political parties. During the revision of electoral rolls, booth level agents of each recognized political party are involved in the process daily. The Congress appointed 28421 BLA in Maharashtra. Till the declaration of election results, no serious objection was raised by any BLA or Congress candidates. The Congress is raising this issue only after the election results.
The Election Commission said that electoral rolls are reviewed every year through participant activities. During this annual activity, electoral rolls are shared free of cost with recognized political parties including the Congress for the first time and the second time after its final form. A similar activity was done in the year 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 and copies of such electoral rolls were shared with the Congress as well as other political parties. A full copy of the electoral roll used for the assembly elections 2024 is also available on the website to download free of cost to the public. Under Rule 33 of Electoral Registration Rules, 1960, any person, including the Congress representative, can apply to the concerned District Election Officer and can get a copy of such electoral rolls by paying the prescribed fee. The Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra had already clarified this statutory status to the Member of Parliament through the order of 22 May 2025, who had sought a copy of the electoral rolls. These copies of electoral rolls were already provided to the Congress at the time of amendment.