The Congress party leveled serious allegations against the ruling BJP on Tuesday, claiming electoral rolls are being systematically manipulated to ensure BJP victories in key states. The opposition party pointed to massive voter deletions in Maharashtra and similar patterns in Delhi as evidence of what they call "vote theft."

Key facts

  • 2.06 crore voter names excluded from Maharashtra's draft electoral rolls after special intensive revision
  • 91% of struck-off voters in West Bengal had to be reinstated after appeals
  • Congress alleges similar patterns in Delhi, Telangana, and Karnataka

Massive Deletions Raise Alarm

Maharashtra's draft electoral rolls published Monday showed a staggering 2.06 crore names removed—the largest absolute number of deletions in any state during the current Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision. The numbers tell a concerning story: Lok Sabha 2024 showed 9.29 crore voters, Vidhan Sabha 2024 had 9.7 crore, but the 2026 SIR lists only 7.78 crore. That's one in every five voters suddenly missing.

Leadership Reacts Strongly

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi didn't mince words, accusing the BJP and what he called the "vote theft commission" of constantly changing tactics with one goal: "BJP's victory at any cost, and the end of India's democracy." He reminded everyone of Maharashtra's 2024 elections when "suddenly, 3.9 million new voters were added between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections."

"For a government built on vote theft, the people are not important—that's why this BJP neither listens to the people nor obeys their command" - Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed the concerns, stating votes are added when it suits the BJP and split or deleted when it doesn't. He accused the Election Commission of functioning like the "Save BJP's Chair Commission" rather than guarding fair elections.

Pattern Across States

The Congress leaders pointed to West Bengal where 91% of struck-off voters had to be reinstated after appeals—meaning 9 out of 10 deletions were wrong. In Delhi, they claim voters were increased before Assembly elections, then 4.756 million names vanished from draft lists, with notices prepared for 3.3 million others. The pattern appears consistent: Telangana and Karnataka Congress workers report similar manipulations daily.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission shared that 3,35,910 booth-level agents from various parties helped prepare Maharashtra's draft rolls, with another 33,226 engaged in Delhi—numbers that suggest extensive participation in the process.