– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi – Congress’ expert group accused the Election Commission of aiding voter list manipulation to benefit the BJP. They revealed that the same voter ID number was used for multiple voters across constituencies and states.
After massive fraud claims in Haryana and Maharashtra elections, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge formed the Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) in February to probe the issue.
The expert group’s findings exposed shocking irregularities. They highlighted that several voters used the same voter ID number, violating the core principle of a clean voter list. “This is as absurd as different cars having the same registration number,” they stated.
In December 2024, Congress flagged major flaws in Maharashtra’s voter lists. The Election Commission registered 40 lakh new voters in just five months, surpassing the 32 lakh added in the previous five years. Ground reports showed thousands of new voters from single buildings and other states, most of whom voted for the BJP-led alliance.
A total of 76 lakh votes were added in Maharashtra and 16 lakh in Haryana after polling. Similar manipulation occurred in the May-June 2024 general elections.
Rahul Gandhi raised this issue in Lok Sabha and demanded Maharashtra’s voter lists. The MVA alliance held a joint press conference in New Delhi. However, the Election Commission’s silence reinforced suspicions of its complicity.
When confronted with proof of duplicate voter ID numbers, the EC falsely claimed that numbers might be repeated across states but were unique within each state. Congress proved this wrong with cases of identical voter IDs within the same constituency. The EC then remained silent.
“It’s basic knowledge that every Indian voter must have a unique ID nationwide. The EC cannot claim ignorance. This is deliberate voter list manipulation to favor the ruling party and undermine free elections,” the report stated.
Congress accused the BJP of rigging elections with the EC’s support. Despite Rahul Gandhi’s dissent and a Supreme Court case, the government appointed new election commissioners.
“This is why Modi’s government subverted the Supreme Court’s ruling on an independent appointment committee for Election Commissioners,” the report said.
The EAGLE committee, including Ajay Maken, Digvijaya Singh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Praveen Chakravarty, Pawan Khera, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Nitin Raut, and Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy, is monitoring election integrity.
Congress vowed to fight this issue legally, politically, and legislatively, warning that such rigging threatens India’s democracy, violating Ambedkar’s vision of an independent Election Commission.
