Kharge backs Rahul Gandhi’s call for electoral transparency in Maharashtra

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi during a meeting with Manipur leadership, at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi. File. | Photo Credit: ANI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday (June 9, 2025) extended strong support to party leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s call for greater transparency in the conduct of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

On Saturday, Mr. Gandhi had penned a signed article—published across several newspapers and languages—in which he alleged “match-fixing” in the electoral process and raised questions about the sudden surge in voting percentage between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., as well as large-scale additions to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra.

The Election Commission has categorically rejected the allegations.

“Democracy cannot survive on the basis of opaque processes and unverifiable data,” Mr. Kharge said in a statement, adding, “The Congress party stands firm with Shri Rahul Gandhi’s call for full transparency and institutional accountability. The credibility of the Election Commission is at stake, and we urge it to uphold the standards expected of a neutral and constitutional authority.”

Meanwhile, amid media reports indicating that the Election Commission may release the electoral rolls for Haryana and Maharashtra, the Congress’s Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) welcomed the development.

“While we have not received any official response or communication to our letters except for one tutorial on the process of addition and deletion of voters, we hope this news story is true and the EC has finally agreed to make public the voter rolls for Maharashtra and Haryana,” the Congress said in a statement.

Published - June 09, 2025 10:29 pm IST