Rahul Gandhi Alleges 'Vote Theft' in Maharashtra's Voter Surge Controversy

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, leveled serious allegations against Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, accusing him of 'vote theft' due to an eight percent surge in voter numbers in Fadnavis's constituency within just five months. Gandhi called for the immediate release of machine-readable digital voter rolls and CCTV footage to ensure transparency.

The opposition leader shared a news article on social media platform X, highlighting reports from Booth Level Officers who observed unknown individuals casting votes in Nagpur South West. Gandhi pointed to media revelations of thousands of voters with unverifiable addresses as further evidence of electoral irregularities. His accusations come amidst revised Election Commission guidelines on retaining election footage.

In response, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Gandhi's accusations as desperate claims after Congress's electoral losses. Fadnavis cited similar voter growth in several Maharashtra assembly segments, some of which were won by Congress. He criticized Gandhi for not communicating with his party members before publicizing his claims. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India has summoned Gandhi for a discussion on the allegations, which have been rejected by the commission.

(With inputs from agencies.)