Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 21: Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, during his ongoing visit to the United States, raised serious concerns over the credibility of India’s electoral system, alleging voter fraud in the Maharashtra Assembly elections and accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of being compromised.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in Boston, Gandhi claimed that the voter turnout figures in the Maharashtra polls were inconsistent. “More people voted in the Maharashtra Assembly elections than there are registered voters,” he said, pointing to a dramatic spike in turnout within a narrow time window.

“The Election Commission gave us a turnout figure at 5.30 pm. Then, between 5.30 and 7.30 pm, 65 lac additional votes were supposedly cast. That is physically impossible,” he asserted. “There would have had to be queues stretching into the early morning.”

Gandhi said that Congress had approached the Election Commission demanding video footage and clarity, but were met with silence. “They refused to provide any evidence. It was clear to us that the Commission was compromised,” he said.

He further warned about the growing erosion of institutional independence in India. “There is something very wrong with the system. I’ve said this many times,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to speak at Brown University as part of his US tour.

In the Maharashtra elections held last year, Congress managed just 16 seats with a 12.42% vote share. Its allies, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), also underperformed, while the BJP-led MahaYuti alliance swept to power with a combined tally of 230 seats, forming the government with a clear majority.