NEW DELHI: After repeated assaults on the Election Fee by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, the chief electoral officer of Maharashtra on Monday suggested the Chief of Opposition within the Lok Sabha to obtain the voter rolls of the Maharashtra legislative elections from its web site — “freed from value”.Hours after Rahul requested the EC to specify the precise date by which it might furnish the voter rolls, the Fee mentioned it maintains the observe of sharing the main points with recognised political events — first on the draft stage and once more after finalisation.“Electoral Rolls are revised yearly by means of a participatory train. Throughout this annual train, the Electoral Rolls are shared, freed from value, with recognised political events, together with the INC — first on the draft stage and once more after finalisation. An analogous train was carried out in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024, and copies of such Electoral Rolls had been then shared with the INC in addition to different political events,” the EC mentioned in an announcement.“An entire copy of the Electoral Roll used within the Common Elections to the Legislative Meeting, Maharashtra–2024 can be out there on the web site for the general public to freely obtain. Even for earlier electoral rolls, a replica of the finalised Electoral Rolls is retained by the District Election Officer. Underneath Rule 33 of the Registration of Electors Guidelines, 1960, any individual, together with the INC, can apply to the involved District Election Officer and acquire a replica of the retained Electoral Rolls on fee of the prescribed charge. The CEO, Maharashtra, reiterated this statutory place on twenty second Could 2025 to a Hon’ble Member of Parliament from the INC who sought a replica of electoral rolls that had already been supplied to the INC throughout revisions in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024,” it added.Earlier, Rahul had requested the Election Fee to specify the precise date by which it might furnish the voter rolls of the Maharashtra and Haryana legislative elections.In a social media publish on X, Rahul welcomed the EC’s choice and mentioned, “Good first step taken by EC handy over voter rolls.”“Can the EC please announce the precise date by which this information will likely be handed over in a digital, machine-readable format?” he requested.The Chief of Opposition within the Lok Sabha additionally shared a screenshot of a media report claiming that the EC had cleared the way in which for sharing electoral-roll information for Haryana and Maharashtra from 2009 to 2024, following an assurance it gave to the Delhi Excessive Courtroom earlier this 12 months.This improvement got here a day after Rahul, in an article, outlined a “step-by-step manipulation” of the 2024 Maharashtra Meeting elections.“My article reveals how this occurred, step-by-step: Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Fee. Step 2: Add pretend voters to the roll.Step 3: Inflate voter turnout. Step 4: Goal the bogus voting precisely the place BJP must win.Step 5: Conceal the proof,” Gandhi wrote in a publish on X.“It is not laborious to see why the BJP was so determined in Maharashtra. However rigging is like match-fixing — the aspect that cheats would possibly win the sport, however damages establishments and destroys public religion within the consequence. All involved Indians should see the proof, choose for themselves, and demand solutions,” Gandhi had mentioned.“As a result of the match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar subsequent, after which anyplace the BJP is shedding,” the Chief of Opposition claimed.Later, the ballot physique issued an announcement calling Rahul’s allegations of “match-fixing” within the electoral course of “fully absurd.”“Your entire nation is conscious that every election course of — together with the preparation of electoral rolls, polling, and counting — is held by authorities workers, and that too within the presence of authorised representatives formally appointed by political events/candidates from polling station as much as constituency degree,” the EC mentioned.“Any misinformation being unfold, by anybody, shouldn’t be solely an indication of disrespect in the direction of the legislation, but additionally brings disrepute to the 1000’s of representatives appointed by their very own political social gathering and demotivates lakhs of election workers who work untiringly and transparently throughout elections,” it added.“After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, attempting to defame the Election Fee by saying that it’s compromised is totally absurd,” the assertion by the ECI learn.Within the 2024 Meeting elections, the Mahayuti coalition of BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP received 235 of the 288 seats, with BJP securing 132 alone. Shinde’s Sena secured 57 seats, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP acquired 41 seats.Alternatively, it was a disappointing present by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which had hoped for a grand comeback. Uddhav’s Sena acquired 20 seats, Congress 16, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP secured 10 seats.