Election Officials Foiled Bogus Voter Registration in Rajura: ERO Clarifies After Rahul's Claim

Election authorities in Maharashtra have revealed that vigilant oversight prevented the addition of thousands of fraudulent voters to the rolls in the Rajura assembly constituency ahead of the 2024 state polls, directly countering recent claims by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Officials rejected 6,861 out of 7,592 applications submitted during a key revision period, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process in this eastern Maharashtra district.

The controversy erupted on Thursday when Gandhi, during a New Delhi press conference, accused authorities of allowing 6,850 voters to be "fraudulently" added to Rajura's list using automated software, raising broader concerns about electoral manipulation. In response, Rajura's Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), Ravindra Mane, issued a detailed clarification on Friday, emphasising proactive measures taken without awaiting formal complaints. Between October 1 and 17, 2024, an unusually high volume of online applications flooded the system in a brief window, prompting immediate scrutiny.

Verification, led by the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer and local tehsildar with support from booth-level officers (BLOs), uncovered widespread irregularities: many applicants were non-residents, fictitious, or provided incomplete documents and photos.

A rejection proposal was swiftly forwarded to the district office on October 17, barring these entries from the final rolls before the November 20 polls. The district election officer ordered enhanced scrutiny and initiated criminal proceedings under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Information Technology Act, 2000, for potential cyber fraud.

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Following the directives, a formal rejection notice was issued, and Rajura Police registered a case under Crime No. 629/2024, with investigations underway. Officials stressed that this rapid response safeguarded the constituency's voter list, which ultimately featured over 2 lakh eligible names. In the election results announced on November 23, BJP's Deorao Vithoba Bhongle won the seat with 72,882 votes, edging out Congress's Subhash Ramchandrarao Dhote (69,828 votes) by a narrow 3,054-vote margin.

The episode highlights ongoing challenges in digital voter enrolment and the importance of real-time monitoring in India's vast electoral framework.

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