New Delhi | Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday lauded the Election Commission's (EC) reported decision to share the electoral-roll data for Haryana and Maharashtra as "a good first step" and urged the poll body to announce the exact date by which the data will be handed over in a digital, machine-readable format.
The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha shared the screenshot of a media report that claimed that the EC has cleared the way for sharing the electoral-roll data for Haryana and Maharashtra from 2009 to 2024, following an assurance it gave to the Delhi High Court earlier in the year.
There was, however, no official word from the EC on the reported move as yet.
In a post on X, Gandhi said, "Good first step taken by EC to hand over voter rolls."
"Can the EC please announce the exact date by which this data will be handed over in a digital, machine-readable format?" the former Congress chief asked.
In a post on X, the Chief Electoral Office in Maharashtra said electoral rolls are revised annually through a participatory exercise.
"During this annual exercise, the electoral rolls are shared, free of cost, with recognised political parties, including INC, first at draft stage and second time after its finalisation. The similar exercise was done in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 and copies of such electoral rolls were then shared with INC, as well as with other political parties. A complete copy of electoral roll used in general elections to Legislative Assembly, Maharashtra-2024 is also available on website for public to freely download," it said.
Even for earlier electoral rolls, a copy of the finalised electoral rolls is retained by the district election officer as well, the post said.
"Under Rule 33 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, any person, including INC, can apply to the concerned District Election Officer and get a copy of such retained electoral rolls, on payment of prescribed fee," it added.
The post said the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Maharashtra had reiterated this statutory position on May 22 to a member of Parliament of the Congress, who had sought a copy of the electoral rolls that were already provided to the INC at the time of revision in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.
After Gandhi sought the EC's response on his article alleging rigging in last year's Maharashtra Assembly election, sources in the poll authority said on Sunday that the constitutional body would respond only if the leader of opposition writes to it directly.
They also pointed out that as part of its outreach, the EC had invited all six national parties for separate interactions. While the other five met the EC brass, Congress cancelled the May 15 meeting.
Gandhi hit back at the EC on Saturday after sources in the poll panel rejected his allegation of rigging in the Maharashtra election, saying evasion would not protect its credibility but telling the truth would.
In an article published in "The Indian Express", Gandhi had alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar election and "anywhere the BJP is losing".
