Archive · 27 Sep 2026
Maharashtra Congress Tells Fadnavis to Resign Over ECI Defense
Maharashtra Congress leader Harshwardhan Sapkal criticized Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
He said Fadnavis should resign if he could not solve farmers’ problems.
Sapkal also said Fadnavis should not defend the Election Commission on behalf of the panel.
The Congress has questioned how voter lists and elections are being managed.
It has also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Fadnavis rejected the Opposition’s claims that votes were stolen.
He said Rahul Gandhi was weakening people’s trust in important constitutional institutions.
The dispute includes different claims about whether election commissioners disagreed over a voter-roll review.
At the same time, Maharashtra declared drought in most of its talukas and promised relief for affected farmers.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to resign and work as the Election Commission’s spokesperson.
Sapkal accused Fadnavis of defending the poll panel instead of addressing drought-related problems facing Maharashtra’s farmers.
Fadnavis rejected Opposition claims of vote theft and said Rahul Gandhi was undermining trust in constitutional institutions.
The Congress cited questions about electoral rolls and a report alleging that two election commissioners objected to the Special Intensive Revision process 14 times.
The Maharashtra government declared drought in 265 of 358 talukas and announced measures including crop-loan restructuring and subsidies.
- Who
- Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Rahul Gandhi, and the Election Commission of India.
- What
- Sapkal demanded Fadnavis’s resignation over his criticism of Rahul Gandhi and defense of the Election Commission.
- When
- September 27; the drought declaration was made the previous day.
- Where
- Mumbai and Maharashtra.
- Why
- The dispute concerns allegations about electoral-roll transparency and the government’s response to drought-hit farmers.
Congress and Opposition criticism
Fadnavis and Election Commission defense
Election-roll transparency
Congress and Opposition criticism
The Congress says Rahul Gandhi’s questions about electoral rolls and the election process require factual answers from the Election Commission and has demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Fadnavis and Election Commission defense
Fadnavis rejected allegations of vote theft as baseless and said Rahul Gandhi was weakening public trust in constitutional bodies.
Disagreement within the poll panel
Congress and Opposition criticism
The Congress cited an Indian Express report alleging that two election commissioners objected at least 14 times to the handling of the SIR process.
Fadnavis and Election Commission defense
The three election commissioners said in a joint press statement that decisions on the SIR were unanimous.
Maharashtra’s government priorities
Congress and Opposition criticism
Sapkal said Fadnavis should focus on drought-hit farmers, crop losses, debt, and delayed relief rather than defending the Election Commission.
Fadnavis and Election Commission defense
The state government declared drought in 265 talukas and announced relief measures including loan restructuring, revenue concessions, and power subsidies.
- Congress leader
- Harshwardhan Sapkal, Maharashtra Congress president
- Target of criticism
- Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra chief minister
- Election issue
- The Congress has questioned electoral-roll transparency and the Special Intensive Revision process.
- Reported objections
- The Indian Express reported that two election commissioners objected at least 14 times over 10 months to the poll panel’s handling of the SIR process.
- Poll panel response
- The three election commissioners said in a joint statement that decisions on the SIR were unanimous.
- Drought coverage
- Drought was declared in 265 of Maharashtra’s 358 talukas, or 74 percent of the state.
- Announced relief
- Measures included crop-loan restructuring, land-revenue concessions, and power-bill subsidies.