Cong demands EC for voter lists, poll footage of Maha & Haryana polls

New Delhi: The Congress party has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide machine-readable digital copies of the voter lists for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra and Haryana. It also requested polling day video footage for both states.

“This has been a long-standing request which should be easy for the EC to comply with,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera posted on X on Thursday, asking that the material be shared within a week.

In a letter to the Commission, the party mentioned forming a dedicated group to coordinate election-related matters and cited the ECI’s June 12 letter to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, in which the Commission offered to meet and discuss concerns regarding the Maharashtra assembly elections.

“Since December 2024, through multiple letters, petitions, press conferences, and speeches in Parliament, we have raised serious concerns about the sudden, massive surge in voters during the Maharashtra 2024 assembly elections -- particularly the inexplicable spike in polling after 5 p.m.,” the letter stated.

Citing data from the Election Commission (EC), the Congress party raised concerns over the unusually high number of new electors added between the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the November 2024 assembly polls—figures it says surpass additions made in the previous five years combined.

“This has never happened before and defies logic. Who are these new voters, and where did they come from?” The party’s letter questioned.

Emphasising the need for transparency, the party said any credible investigation must start with a comparison of the final electoral rolls from both elections—a request it claims has gone unanswered for seven months.

“Instead of simply sharing the voter lists, the EC has resorted to media leaks, evasive replies, and allegations,” the letter stated.

It further pressed the Commission on the lack of polling day video access, adding, “Do you or do you not have these lists? Not sharing polling day footage only adds to public suspicion.”

The letter also criticised past responses from the Commission as inadequate, alleging that it deflected core concerns by citing procedural reasons or claiming that lists were shared individually with candidates.

“The Congress leadership will be happy to meet with the Commission after receiving the requested documents, and we will present our findings in that meeting,” the letter concluded.

(inputs from IANS)