Rahul Gandhi Accuses Maharashtra Polls of 'Vote Theft'

In a significant political development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Maharashtra assembly polls of widespread irregularities, terming it as 'vote theft.' He urged the immediate release of machine-readable digital voter rolls and CCTV footage.

According to Gandhi, discrepancies were particularly noted in Nagpur South West, a constituency held by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, which saw an unprecedented addition of over 29,000 new voters within six months. The Congress leader cited media reports about unidentified individuals casting votes and a lack of verified addresses for thousands of voters.

The Election Commission (EC) has formally addressed Gandhi's allegations, emphasizing that the election process complies with existing laws and involves thousands of officials, including Booth Level Officers and Observers, ensuring transparency and fairness. They invited Gandhi for a discussion to resolve any further issues he may have.

(With inputs from agencies.)