Rahul Gandhi accused the 2024 Maharashtra polls of being a “democratic match-fix,” citing voter irregularities and tampering. BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed the claims, asserting public trust in their alliance remains strong.
Pune, 7th June, 2025: A fresh political controversy has erupted after Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi levelled serious allegations regarding the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, branding them as “match-fixing of democracy.”
In a sharply worded article, Gandhi accused the central government of orchestrating the electoral process at an industrial scale, warning that similar manipulation could soon impact elections in Bihar and other states. “When transparency vanishes, democracy is reduced to a mere label,” Gandhi cautioned.
He argued that voter rolls and CCTV surveillance — intended to safeguard electoral integrity — were misused or hidden to erode public trust. According to him, the entire process was engineered to serve those in power. He listed five key concerns:
1️ Election Commission’s Independence Compromised: Gandhi alleged that the panel selecting the Election Commissioner was deliberately skewed to favour central leadership, undermining the body’s impartiality.
2️ Suspicious Surge in Voter Numbers: He pointed out an unexplained spike of 41 lakh voters added within just five months, leading up to the Lok Sabha elections — a number that he claims exceeds the adult population growth.
3️ Unexplained Voting Percentages: Gandhi cited discrepancies in turnout figures — an initial 58.22% reportedly rising to 66.05% overnight, amounting to an unexplained addition of 76 lakh votes.
4️ Booth-Level Anomalies: He claimed that 12,000 polling booths showed disproportionate gains for the BJP, citing the Kamathi constituency where BJP votes reportedly surged by 56,000, while Congress numbers remained unchanged.
5️ Obstruction of Evidence: Gandhi alleged that rule changes were made to withhold CCTV footage, with altered guidelines compromising electoral transparency. He also raised concerns about duplicate voter IDs.
He concluded with a stark warning: “This electoral playbook used in Maharashtra could easily be replicated elsewhere. It must be exposed and challenged.”
Responding sharply, BJP Maharashtra President Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed the allegations. “Rahul Gandhi is stuck in a defeatist mindset,” Bawankule said. He highlighted that the Mahayuti alliance secured a commanding lead, while Congress saw a decline of 33 lakh votes.
He further noted that Maharashtra’s voter base has naturally expanded since 2009 and called Rahul Gandhi’s doubts baseless. “We are connecting with citizens on real issues, unlike Congress,” Bawankule added.
With these duelling narratives, the debate around electoral credibility in Maharashtra is likely to remain a major talking point in Indian politics.
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