Allegations of large-scale voter roll discrepancies in Maharashtra were reinforced on Friday when NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar extended support to Rahul Gandhi’s charge of “vote theft.” It was stated by Pawar that thousands of fake and duplicate entries had been traced in the electoral rolls during a review undertaken by his party. A state-wide report was said to be in preparation and expected to be released within weeks.
It was further explained that while the study of the electoral lists was ongoing, Pawar expressed little optimism about intervention by the Election Commission of India. His comments suggested that after the dismissive reaction of the poll body to Gandhi’s earlier disclosures, little faith remained in its willingness to act. The silence of the Commission was also criticised by Pawar, who remarked that despite massive gatherings witnessed during Rahul Gandhi’s yatra in Bihar, no clear stand had been taken. The matter was described as no longer confined to Bihar but elevated to a national concern.
Additional details were shared by the NCP (SP)’s chief spokesperson, Jitendra Awhad, who noted that internal probes carried out in specific constituencies revealed glaring inconsistencies. These probes were conducted by party candidates Ashok Pawar in Shirur and Prashant Jagtap in Hadapsar, both of whom had contested and lost in the 2024 elections.
According to Ashok Pawar, an unusual surge of nearly 50,000 voters had been recorded between the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Shirur, followed by an additional increase of more than 32,000 between the parliamentary and assembly elections held the same year. An estimated 27,000 names were found duplicated, with many addresses judged to be false and photographs considered unrecognisable. The Shirur seat was ultimately secured by Dnyaneshwar Katke of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction.
Parallel allegations were raised in Hadapsar by Prashant Jagtap, who stated that 40,300 voters had been added in merely five months between two elections. Efforts to seek clarification from the Election Commission were reported to have been unsuccessful, as access to detailed information was allegedly denied. The matter has since been taken to the Bombay High Court for judicial examination. Jagtap was defeated by Chetan Tupe, also representing Ajit Pawar’s faction.
The claims, if substantiated, suggest significant manipulation of the electoral rolls, an issue described by opposition leaders as a serious threat to democratic integrity. With the NCP (SP) preparing to compile and release a comprehensive state-wide report, further scrutiny of the Election Commission’s conduct is expected. Political observers believe that the controversy, already drawing attention across states, is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.
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