The BJP has accused Congress of pushing a "fake narrative" after psephologist Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) retracted claims of voter discrepancies in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Kumar had alleged significant voter additions and deletions in constituencies like Nashik West and Hingna, claiming increases of 47% and 43%, respectively, and sharp declines in Ramtek and Devlali by 38% and 36%. These figures fueled Congress's allegations of "vote theft" against the BJP, with Rahul Gandhi citing Mahadevapura in Karnataka as a case study.

Kumar later apologized on X, admitting an error in comparing 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly election data, and deleted his posts. "I sincerely apologize for the tweets posted regarding Maharashtra elections. Error occurred while comparing data of 2024 LS and 2024 AS. The data in row was misread by our data team," he stated, denying any intent to spread misinformation.

The BJP seized the moment, with IT head Amit Malviya slamming Congress for relying on flawed data to target the Election Commission and label genuine voters as fake. "Where does this leave Rahul Gandhi and the Congress? Shameful," Malviya said, demanding an apology. The Election Commission also rebuffed Congress's claims, urging Gandhi to submit an affidavit or apologize.

Also Read: Delhi Drowns in Rain but Thirsts for Water: Atishi

Despite the retraction, Congress remains defiant. Spokesperson Sujata Paul said CSDS data was only one part of their evidence, corroborated by independent findings from party workers and the INDIA bloc. "Why he apologized is his problem, not ours," Paul stated.

The controversy highlights the ongoing political slugfest, with the BJP capitalizing on Kumar’s apology to counter Congress’s narrative, while the Opposition insists on systemic issues in the electoral process.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Alleges BJP-Election Commission Vote Theft Plot