RJD MP Manoj Jha demands EC's neutrality amid row over Rahul Gandhi's allegations on Maharashtra Assembly elections

New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI): RJD MP Manoj Jha on Tuesday demanded the Election Commission's neutrality amid the row over Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's remarks over the addition of voters to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra Assembly elections.
In a veiled jab at BJP, Jha emphasised that this concern can only be alleviated when the Election Commission asserts its role as the guardian of free and fair elections, as mandated by Article 324, rather than serving the interests of any particular party.
By invoking Article 324, Jha is referencing the constitutional provision that empowers the Election Commission to oversee and regulate elections in India.
"Yesterday Rahul Gandhi said something about Maharashtra, which is a matter of concern. So I say this concern will be removed only when the Election Commission decides that it is the guardian of free and fair elections under Article 324 and not the guardian of any party's interests," said the RJD MP, an alliance partner of Congress-led INDIA bloc.
This statement comes after the opposition party alleged electoral malpractices and partisan bias levelled against the ruling NDA government led by the BJP.
Jha was reacting to the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's allegation that about 70 lakh voters, equivalent to Himachal Pradesh's population, were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and State elections, demanding the ECI furnish data to opposition parties in the state.
On Monday, during the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, Rahul Gandhi raised concerns over the alleged increase of lakhs of new voters before the Maharashtra Assembly election last year.
Claiming that around 70 lakh new voters were added after the Lok Sabha elections and before the Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the Lok Sabha LoP said, "Between the Lok Sabha election which the INDIA bloc won and the Vidhan Sabha election, the voting population of Himachal Pradesh was added to the voter roll of Maharashtra, meaning the entire population of Himachal Pradesh was added to voter rolls of Maharashtra. Almost 70 lakh new voters suddenly arrived between Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections."
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra, which represents 48 seats in Parliament, Congress won 13 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) won 9, NCP SP won 9, BJP won 9, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) won 7 and NCP (Ajit Pawar) won 1.
In the Assembly elections held in November 2024, the Mahayuti alliance, comprising of BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), won a decisive victory, winning more than 235 seats out of the 288 seats. BJP emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats. The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also backed Rahul Gandhi. Speaking to ANI, Priyanka questioned the fairness of the process, pointing out that a significant portion of these voters appear to align with the BJP.
"The people of Maharashtra will not forgive those who conspired against Maharashtra, who drove the country's industries out of Maharashtra, who broke two regional parties and made them betray and formed their government, Maharashtra will not forgive those who added 48 lakh new voters within five months," she said.
"Every person in Maharashtra is asking the question that between Lok Sabha to Vidhan Sabha polls, 48 lakh voters were added in five months, whereas 37 lakh were added in five years. Till now, 72 lakh new voters have been added, of which 70 lakh voters have been added to the camp of BJP," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP added. (ANI)