Rahul Gandhi Challenges ECI: Demands Release of Voter Rolls and CCTV Footage

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has responded to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) reply regarding his allegations of rigging in the Maharashtra polls. Gandhi criticized the ECI for issuing unsigned, evasive notes and called for greater transparency. He took to social media to state his dissatisfaction with the ECI’s response and demanded that the commission prove its integrity by releasing specific information. Specifically, he requested the publication of consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for recent Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections across all states, including Maharashtra. Furthermore, he urged the release of all post-5 pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. The ECI had previously dismissed Gandhi’s charges as unsubstantiated, stating that it had already addressed the issues in a December 2024 response available on its website. The ECI also accused of spreading misinformation and defaming the commission. Gandhi had earlier alleged that the Maharashtra assembly election in November 2024 was ‘rigged’ and suggested a similar pattern in upcoming Bihar assembly polls. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde responded to Gandhi’s claims, pointing out that the Maha Vikas Aghadi had won in the Lok Sabha elections and that the narrative was ‘fake’.