Rahul Gandhi Alleges EC Is ‘Compromised’, Cites Irregularities in Voter Data; EC Refutes Claims

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has alleged that India’s Election Commission (EC) is “compromised” and that there is “something very wrong with the system.” Speaking to members of the Indian diaspora in Boston, Gandhi cited the Maharashtra assembly elections as an example, claiming that 65 lakh voters were added to the rolls within two hours — a scenario he described as “physically impossible.”

“More people voted in Maharashtra than the total number of people in the state. The EC gave us a figure at 5:30 p.m., and by 7:30 p.m., an additional 65 lakh voters had voted. This is a fact,” Gandhi said, according to ANI.

Gandhi asserted that the alleged discrepancy reflects deeper flaws in the electoral system. “It’s very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised,” he added.

However, the Election Commission has rejected the allegations, stating that they lack factual basis. According to EC sources quoted by ANI, “hardly any first or second appeals” were made under provisions of the Representation of People Act during the recent Special Summary Revision (SSR) process published in January 2025.

The EC clarified that the SSR is a routine exercise to update electoral rolls by including new voters and removing duplicates or deceased individuals. In Maharashtra, only 89 appeals were recorded, out of over 13 million Booth Level Agents (BLAs) deployed nationwide.

Given the low number of objections, the EC stated that the electoral rolls finalized after the SSR process must be considered accurate and uncontested.