‘Completely Absurd’: ECI On Rahul Gandhi’s 'Match-Fixing' Claims In Maharashtra Polls

Last Updated:June 07, 2025, 18:40 IST

The poll body hit back to the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition's claims with a point wise rebuttal, stating that “facts are completely being ignored.”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (Image: PTI/File)

The Election Commission on Saturday once again dismissed the allegations raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that there was a large-scale electoral manipulation in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The poll body hit back to the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition’s claims with a point wise rebuttal, stating that “facts are completely being ignored."

What Rahul Gandhi Claimed?

In a post shared on X, the grand-old party leader summarised the key points of an article he wrote for The Indian Express, where he laid out what he claims is a systematic method used to influence the election outcome in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In his article, Gandhi outlined a five-step process he claimed was used to tilt the Maharashtra election.

“Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll Step 3: Inflate voter turnout Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win Step 5: Hide the evidence," the Leader of Opposition wrote in his post.

“It’s not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra," Gandhi wrote in his post. “But rigging is like match-fixing – the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroy public faith in the result."

“All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers," Gandhi added.

He also warned that what happened in Maharashtra could be repeated elsewhere. “The match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing," he said, calling match-fixed elections are a “poison" for any democracy.

ECI’s Rebuttal To Gandhi’s Claims

Following Rahul Gandhi’s X post, the Election Commission hit back stating that “facts are completely being ignored."

“Unsubstantiated allegations raised against the Electoral Rolls of Maharashtra are an affront to the rule of law. The Election Commission had brought out all these facts in its reply to the INC on 24th December 2024 itself, which is available on ECI’s website. It appears that all these facts are being completely ignored while raising such issues again and again," the ECI said.

Adding to its rebuttal about how “facts were being completely ignored" repeatedly, the ECI further said that such actions not only show “a complete disregard for the law," but also undermine the integrity of thousands of party-appointed representatives and demoralise the lakhs of election officials who, it said, “work untiringly and transparently during elections."

“After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd," stated the poll body.

Maharashtra Elections 2024

The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections delivered a sweeping triumph for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which secured a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.

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