The alleged manipulation of voter lists in the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 has shaken the basic pillar of democracy. Former MLC Balram Patil had pointed out irregularities in the voter list in Panvel constituency 146 days before Rahul Gandhi, calling the Election Commission ‘corrupt’, but no concrete action was taken. Rahul Gandhi also made similar allegations, accusing the BJP and the Election Commission of collusion. Details of the incidents Peasants and Workers Party leader Balram Patil claimed that 85,211 voters were registered twice or thrice in Panvel constituency, out of which 25,855 voters were registered at more than one booth. He also found duplication of over 15,800 voters in neighboring constituencies of Arun, Airoli, and Belapur. Patil approached the Bombay High Court in September 2024, but his plea was rejected after the election schedule was announced. He claimed that 11,628 votes were duplicated in Panvel alone, which is ‘dangerous’ for democracy. Rahul Gandhi said in Parliament on February 3, 2025, that 70 lakh new votes were cast between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Voters were included, which is equal to the population of Himachal Pradesh. He alleged 1,00,250 fake votes in Mahadevapura constituency of Bangalore Central in August 2025, where 80 voters were registered at the same address and a woman named Shakun Rani voted twice. The Election Commission called the allegations “baseless” and asked Rahul to file an affidavit or apologise, but Rahul rejected it. Patil wrote letters to the Election Commission, the Panvel sub-divisional officer, and the Raigad district magistrate, but received no response. He has analysed data from 490 out of 574 booths and is continuing to work on the rest. He is considering filing a contempt case. A Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) MLA also filed a similar complaint in Muktai Nagar constituency, but the Bombay High Court rejected it. Opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, have also pointed out irregularities in the voter lists. Mamata said in February 2025 that Bengal's voter lists included voters from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and other states. The Election Commission denied the allegations, but public confidence in the state has waned. It is clear, as the CSDS survey showed that distrust in the Election Commission in Uttar Pradesh rose from 11% to 31%. Reaction and analysis Experts say that large-scale changes in verification of voter lists are normal, but the lack of transparency has raised doubts. Former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy said that 52 lakh voters were removed in Karnataka in 2008, but the allegations without a written complaint are frivolous. The BJP hit back at Rahul, calling him “against constitutional institutions” and saying that the number of voters in Maharashtra increased by 40 lakh, not one crore. Rahul highlighted similar allegations in Bihar through his Voter Adhikar Yatra. “Vote is the power of the people. Taking it away is an attack on democracy.” — Rahul Gandhi References The Telegraph, The Hindu, India Today, The Wire, Times of India, X-Post