11

Jun

Crisis of credibility  for E.C. as Rahul  accuses it of “Industrial-scale rigging”

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A close-up of a person with glasses AI-generated content may be incorrect.Eleven years into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule, India’s democratic institutions appear to be under severe strain. The latest salvo has come from Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of enabling “industrial-scale rigging” in favor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a strongly worded op-ed published in The Indian Express on June 7, 2025, titled ‘Match-fixing Maharashtra’, Gandhi alleged that the BJP’s sweeping victory in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections was the result of widespread manipulation. He described the elections as a “fixed match,” executed through the capture and subversion of national institutions, most notably the ECI.

“The fixing side might win a game, but irreparable damage is done to institutions and to people’s faith in the result,” Gandhi warned. He emphasized that his accusations were not about isolated incidents of malpractice but about “industrial-scale rigging,” systematically orchestrated to distort democratic outcomes.

Central to Gandhi’s claims is the 2023 Election Commissioners Appointment Act, which replaced the Chief Justice of India with a cabinet minister on the committee responsible for selecting Election Commissioners. This move, he argued, compromised the independence of the ECI and signaled the beginning of a broader effort to rig the electoral process.

Gandhi also highlighted suspicious changes in Maharashtra’s voter rolls. Between the 2019 Vidhan Sabha and May 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the number of registered voters rose modestly from 8.98 crore to 9.29 crore. However, just five months later, ahead of the November 2024 Assembly elections, the figure jumped to 9.70 crore—surpassing the official estimate of 9.54 crore adult residents in the state. This, he alleged, points to the existence of fake voters as part of the BJP’s “match-fixing” strategy.

Column at a Glance
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India's democratic institutions face significant challenges, as highlighted by Rahul Gandhi's recent accusations against the Election Commission of India (ECI). In a June 2025 op-ed, Gandhi claimed that the ECI facilitated "industrial-scale rigging" to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, which he described as a "fixed match."
Wednesday Wisdom
By Satish Misra
He criticized the 2023 Election Commissioners Appointment Act for undermining the ECI's independence and pointed to suspicious voter roll changes and anomalies in reported turnout as evidence of manipulation. The ECI dismissed Gandhi's claims, asserting that Indian elections are fair and transparent. The ongoing debate raises critical concerns about electoral integrity and public trust in democratic processes, emphasizing the need for accountability and the protection of democratic institutions in India.

He further pointed to anomalies in reported voter turnout and what he called “targeted bonus voting.” According to Gandhi, most of the additional voters were concentrated in around 12,000 booths across 85 constituencies—areas where the BJP had underperformed in previous elections. “That’s an average of over 600 voters per booth after 5 p.m.,” he wrote. “Assuming one minute per vote, voting would need to continue for 10 hours after closing time. Since this didn’t happen, how were these extra votes cast?”

The result, according to Gandhi, was a dramatic and unprecedented BJP strike rate of 89% in Maharashtra—far above any historical norm.

Gandhi also accused the ECI of opacity in refusing to share voter rolls with photos for the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. He noted that following a High Court order to release CCTV footage from polling stations, the central government—after consulting the ECI—amended Section 93(2)(a) of the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules to restrict access to such evidence.

“The timing of this amendment is telling,” Gandhi argued. “The recent exposure of duplicate EPIC numbers only confirms long-standing concerns about bogus voting. Voter rolls and CCTV footage are not ceremonial items; they are essential tools to ensure electoral integrity.”

In concluding his piece, Gandhi stated: “It is not hard to guess why rigging in Maharashtra in November 2024 took on such desperate proportions. But rigging is like match-fixing—the fixing side might win a game, but irreparable damage is done to institutions and people’s faith in the result. Match-fixed elections are poison for democracy.”

Election strategist and Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor backed Gandhi’s demand for transparency, urging the Election Commission to respond. “Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and has raised serious concerns, not in a media byte but in a detailed written piece. The EC has a duty to address those concerns,” Kishor said at a press briefing in Begusarai, Bihar.

The ECI, however, dismissed Gandhi’s allegations. Speaking anonymously, officials claimed the Congress leader was “taken aback by a truthful and factual rebuttal” provided by the commission. They insisted that Indian elections are conducted according to the law and are globally recognized for their scale and fairness.

“Spreading misinformation is a disservice to the law and an insult to the lakhs of election workers and party-appointed representatives who ensure transparent elections,” the ECI said in a statement.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav also penned a rebuttal, attacking Gandhi for what he described as “baseless” accusations. Rather than engaging with Gandhi’s specific points, Yadav fell back on ideological rhetoric, accusing him of being frustrated by Congress's loss of power. “The scion of the Congress party believes he is the rightful heir to the throne,” Yadav wrote.

Ironically, the tone and content of Yadav’s rebuttal lent more weight to Gandhi’s arguments, appearing defensive rather than factual. His response largely ignored the substantive electoral issues raised and instead focused on discrediting Gandhi personally.

Regardless of political affiliation, the debate surrounding the Maharashtra elections raises serious concerns about electoral transparency and institutional integrity. At the heart of a functioning democracy lies public faith in the fairness of elections. When that faith is shaken—whether by actual misconduct or the perception of it—citizens have a right, and perhaps a duty, to demand accountability.

In the end, this is not just a contest between Rahul Gandhi and the BJP. It is a test of the strength and resilience of India’s democratic institutions. The Constitution remains the final guarantor of the people’s rights—and its erosion must be treated as a national crisis.

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