New Delhi, June 12 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday issued a detailed clarification in response to recent allegations made by the Leader of the Opposition regarding the integrity of electoral rolls in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. The Commission termed the claims “alarming” and “misleading,” while reaffirming that due process and transparency were followed in the preparation and revision of the electoral rolls.
In a press statement issued today, the ECI stated that similar concerns had already been raised by the Indian National Congress (INC) after the November 2024 Assembly elections and had been addressed through a comprehensive response dated December 24, 2024. This reply is publicly available on the ECI website.
The Commission emphasized that no centralized mechanism exists for the addition or deletion of voters under Indian electoral laws. Voter registration is carried out at the polling station level by 288 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and nearly one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs), under the Representation of People Act, 1950 and Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The ECI clarified that every modification to the electoral rolls was the result of statutory forms submitted by individuals, followed by field verification, and the process was conducted with active participation from political parties, including the Congress.
Ahead of the Maharashtra polls, a Special Summary Revision of the electoral rolls was conducted in August 2024, with both draft and final rolls shared — in hard and soft copies — with all recognized political parties, the note added.
Factual Breakdown of Voter Statistics
Responding directly to the INC’s data claims, the Commission provided actual figures stating that from the 2019 Assembly elections to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, there was a net increase of 32.25 lakh electors, owing to 1.39 crore additions and 1.07 crore deletions. They said between the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly elections, 48.82 lakh voters were added, and 8 lakh were deleted, resulting in a net addition of 40.81 lakh voters. Notably, over 26 lakh new voters were in the 18–29 age group.
The Commission asserted that projected population figures cannot substitute statutory voter registration processes, which are based on individual applications, physical verification, and due administrative checks.
The Commission revealed that the Congress had appointed 28,421 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) across Maharashtra during the electoral roll revision process. No formal objection was raised by these agents or INC candidates until after the election results were announced.
The ECI reiterated that the electoral rolls are shared annually with recognized political parties — including the INC — both at the draft and final stages. This has been the practice in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024. The complete roll used for the 2024 Assembly elections is also available for public download from the ECI’s website.
Furthermore, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Maharashtra had clarified the same via an order dated May 22, 2025, in response to a request by an INC Member of Parliament. The Commission added that certified copies of electoral rolls can also be obtained by any individual under Rule 33 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, by paying the requisite fee.
“All due processes were followed transparently with full involvement of political parties, and allegations raised post-results do not reflect the on-ground participation and opportunities afforded to all stakeholders,” the ECI stated.
