Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Rahul Gandhi Challenges Maharashtra Roll After 2.07 Crore Exclusions
Maharashtra checked its voter list and published a first draft.
More than two crore names were not included in that draft.
Election officials said some people could not be found, had died, moved away, appeared in another list, or had duplicate records.
Some voters also did not return the required form.
Rahul Gandhi said the large number of missing names showed “vote theft” and accused the BJP and election authorities of trying to help the BJP win.
Officials said eligible people can ask to be added back or correct their details.
Problems accessing the list online were also reported, and the Election Commission said its search tool was being fixed.
The final voter list is expected on November 4.
More than 2.06 crore of Maharashtra’s 9.78 crore pre-revision electors were absent from the draft roll after the Special Intensive Revision.
Election authorities attributed the omissions to untraceable, deceased, relocated, duplicate or separately registered voters, as well as people who did not submit forms.
The draft contains more than 7.71 crore voters: 3.95 crore men, 3.75 crore women and 3,087 third-gender voters.
Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and the Election Commission of pursuing “vote theft” and questioned differing voter totals from recent Maharashtra elections.
Eligible voters can file inclusion claims, objections or corrections from August 31 to September 30; the final roll is scheduled for November 4.
- Who
- Maharashtra electors, Rahul Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party and election authorities.
- What
- A Special Intensive Revision left 2,06,88,487 electors out of Maharashtra’s draft electoral roll, prompting allegations of “vote theft.”
- When
- The draft roll was published on Monday, and Gandhi’s remarks were reported on September 1; claims and objections are scheduled from August 31 to September 30.
- Where
- Maharashtra, India; related criticism also concerned draft rolls in Delhi and Bengal.
- Why
- Authorities said forms were uncollectable or not submitted, while Gandhi argued that the omissions and differing voter totals raised concerns about the integrity of the revision.
Rahul Gandhi and opposition critics
Election authorities’ explanation
Meaning of the omissions
Rahul Gandhi and opposition critics
Rahul Gandhi called the exclusion of 2.07 crore Maharashtra voters “vote theft,” alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission were changing tactics to secure a BJP victory, and said the exercise threatened democracy.
Election authorities’ explanation
Election authorities said the names were absent from the draft because enumeration forms were uncollectable or not submitted, including cases involving untraceable, deceased, relocated, duplicate or separately registered voters.
Accuracy of voter totals
Rahul Gandhi and opposition critics
Gandhi compared figures of 9.29 crore voters for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, 9.7 crore for the 2024 Vidhan Sabha election and 7.78 crore after SIR, asking which list was correct. He also cited a reported 91% reinstatement rate after appeals in Bengal’s SIR.
Election authorities’ explanation
Authorities reported that Maharashtra’s draft contained more than 7.71 crore voters and said the final list would follow the claims and objections process. The reports do not resolve the difference between the authorities’ 7.71-crore figure and Gandhi’s cited 7.78-crore figure.
Effect on eligible voters
Rahul Gandhi and opposition critics
Gandhi argued that leaving out roughly one in five previous Maharashtra electors showed that the government did not value or listen to the people. Arvind Kejriwal similarly criticized the scale of omissions in Delhi’s draft roll.
Election authorities’ explanation
Eligible voters whose names are missing can seek inclusion with Form 6, challenge entries with Form 7, or request corrections with Form 8 before the final roll is published.
- Electors before revision
- 9.78 crore
- Electors absent from draft
- 2,06,88,487, or 21.14% of the previous electorate
- Voters in draft roll
- More than 7.71 crore, or 78.86% of the previous electorate
- Draft-roll composition
- 3.95 crore men, 3.75 crore women and 3,087 third-gender voters
- Largest Maharashtra totals of uncollectable forms
- Pune: 28.6 lakh; Thane: 28.5 lakh; Mumbai Suburban: 26.5 lakh
- Claims and objections
- Forms 6, 7 and 8 can be used between August 31 and September 30
- Final-roll date
- November 4, according to the Election Commission timetable
- Related Delhi draft figures
- About 47.7 lakh of roughly 1.45 crore pre-SIR electors were absent from the draft roll
Sources
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote theft’ jab after 2.07 crore Maharashtra voters deleted
'BJP, Vote Theft Commission share one goal': Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal target Election Commission over SIR omissions - Telegraph India
‘Vote Chori Aayog’: Rahul Targets EC, BJP Over 2 Cr Maharashtra Voters
