Is Rahul’s team misleading him on Maharashtra ‘poll fraud’? | Prem Shankar Jha explains

In the wake of Rahul Gandhi’s editorial alleging electoral fraud in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Election Commission has hit back, while BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has dismissed the claims. But veteran journalist and former PMO advisor Prem Shankar Jha says the data tells a disturbing story — and it’s not just political rhetoric.

In a wide-ranging conversation on Capital Beat, Jha outlines how Form 7 may have enabled large-scale voter list manipulation, why the numbers don’t add up, and what needs to change before elections like Bihar’s.

Why did Rahul Gandhi’s editorial stand out to you when others were sceptical?

Because it put in writing what he had said earlier, with much greater clarity. What struck me most was his claim that there were more voters on the rolls than Maharashtra's adult population. I checked — and it was worse. There were 6 lakh more voters than eligible adults. That’s not a minor discrepancy. That points to names being added, and there’s no innocent explanation for it.

What did the Election Commission’s response tell you?

They claimed they had 1.03 lakh political party members involved, including 27,000 from Congress, and said, why didn’t anyone flag it? But think of what that means. If you’re flooded with updated forms, each with 2,000 names across 102 polling stations, you can’t possibly scrutinize them. It’s unrealistic.

Also read: Rahul alleges ‘industrial-scale rigging’ in 2024 Maharashtra polls, lists steps

What’s the data showing from other places?

In Delhi, when Sanjay Singh analysed 17 constituencies, he found 3 per cent voter additions. The BJP won by a margin of just 1.99 per cent votes. That’s suspicious. It clearly points to misuse of Form 17. But the Maharashtra case is worse — a 44 lakh voter list increase in five months, compared to 11 lakh in the same period in 2019. And all this when India’s birth rate is declining? It defies logic.

So what’s the core issue according to you?

Form 7. It's a form meant for people to notify the Election Commission of deaths, relocations, or changes in voter eligibility. But in Delhi, one person filled 1,100 names in a single Form 7 — and no one stopped it. There’s evidence of similar large-scale abuse across constituencies. I believe that’s exactly what happened in Maharashtra too.

Also read: Rahul’s ‘match fixing’ jibe: BJP says he failed to garner public support

How do you propose we fix this before it’s too late?

Simple. Make Form 7 public. Let the opposition inspect all submitted forms in at least a dozen constituencies. Transparency is key. The Election Commission is refusing to do that — and that’s suspicious.

But is just asking or writing editorials enough? What more should the Congress be doing?

No, it’s not enough. Rahul Gandhi has been misled by his team on some things. Congress needs clarity. There’s too much internal confusion — some want to push for voter paper verification, others for digitization. But Form 7 is the real issue. If that isn’t fixed, Bihar could be next.

Is there a precedent that could help?

Yes. In 2002, Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh ensured fairness in Jammu & Kashmir by deploying polling staff from outside the state. That model worked brilliantly. Either do that or scrap Form 7 altogether. If the government is honest, they’ll act on this. If not, they’re complicit.

Also read: Article wars: Rahul dismissing mandate of people as they rejected him, says Fadnavis

Your final thoughts on what this means for Indian democracy?

What we’re seeing is a collapse of trust. Earlier, people believed the Election Commission. That trust has been shattered. You can’t have more voters than eligible adults and call it democracy. This isn’t about politics. It’s about the legitimacy of elections.

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