Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of voter list manipulation in the state, urging him to check with his own party’s MLAs before making sweeping claims.
The BJP leader accused Gandhi of making the allegations “blindly”, without any factual basis or internal verification.
Taking to the social media platform X, Fadnavis used a Hindi proverb to ridicule Gandhi’s charges and cited several Assembly constituencies to rebut the allegations of malpractice.
"Jhooth bole kauwa kaate, kaale kauwe se dariyo... Rahul Gandhi, I understand the humiliation of your defeat in Maharashtra is deepening by the day. But how long will you keep firing arrows blindly?" Fadnavis wrote.
The Chief Minister pointed out that over 25 constituencies in Maharashtra recorded a voter increase of more than 8 per cent between the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. He added that many of these seats were won by Congress or its allies.
“From West Nagpur, adjacent to my own South West Nagpur constituency, the number of voters rose by 7 per cent — that’s 27,065 more voters — and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre won. In North Nagpur, the increase was 7 per cent or 29,348 voters, and Congress leader Nitin Raut emerged victorious,” he said.
Fadnavis also quoted other constituencies to support his point. “In Vadgaon Sheri (Pune), the voter list registered a 10 per cent rise (50,911 voters), and Bapu Pathare of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) was elected. In Malad West, it rose by 11 per cent (38,625), and Congress’ Aslam Shaikh won. In Mumbra, the voter increase was 9 per cent (46,041), and Jitendra Awhad of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) secured the seat.”
Fadnavis criticised Gandhi for not speaking with senior state Congress leaders before making such claims. “You should have spoken to long-time colleagues like Aslam Shaikh, Vikas Thakre, or Nitin Raut before tweeting. That way, you wouldn’t have exposed your party’s internal communication lapses so embarrassingly.”
Gandhi, currently Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had earlier alleged that voter roll manipulation had taken place during the Maharashtra Assembly elections. He referred to a media report that claimed over 29,000 new voters were added in Nagpur South West — Fadnavis’ constituency — within the six months between the 2024 general election and the state polls.
“There weren’t isolated glitches — it was vote theft,” Gandhi posted on X, alleging that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) reported unknown individuals casting votes. He claimed that some booths witnessed a 20–50 per cent spike in voter numbers.
BJP leaders were quick to reject the allegations. MLC Prasad Lad described Gandhi’s remarks as “a result of frustration” and questioned their timing.
“This shows Rahul Gandhi’s growing desperation. The Congress is unable to return to power — and even if it does, it cannot hold on to it. There’s no real issue to present to the public. Is it even possible for voter rolls to increase so drastically without following due procedure?” Lad said.
He defended the transparency of the election process, adding that voter registrations are handled by BLOs under a democratic framework. “Fadnavis has maintained a clean image since entering politics in 1999. These allegations are baseless and aimed solely at gaining publicity,” he said.
Recalling Gandhi’s earlier political setbacks, Lad added, “He couldn’t become Leader of the Opposition in 2019 and resigned as Congress president after the party’s poor performance. He should look within before levelling such serious charges.”
He also said that the BJP is a cadre-based party and routinely conducts booth-level outreach. “If people are influenced by Fadnavis’ work and vote accordingly, where is the wrongdoing? Furthermore, Gandhi’s statements are contradictory — he mentions a 50 per cent surge in one sentence and 25 per cent in another. He should clarify his stand.”
Lad claimed that Gandhi’s accusations amounted to an “attack on democracy”.
“His grandmother Indira Gandhi once suspended democracy. Now he is misleading people with fabricated charges against a democratically elected government,” he said.
Lad also questioned the timing of the Congress leader’s claims, pointing out that the Assembly elections took place in November last year. “Why wait seven months to raise this issue? This clearly suggests a political motive.”
He said this was not the first time Gandhi had raised such concerns in the run-up to elections. “Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he tried to provoke Ambedkarites by declaring that democracy was under threat. It’s part of a pattern. His frustration has peaked.”
Lad further alleged that state Congress leaders Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat, and Vijay Wadettiwar were feeding Gandhi false information to remain politically relevant. “If a national leader makes such unfounded public claims, it’s absurd. These individuals may well need psychological counselling,” he remarked.
Prakash Bhoyar, Fadnavis’ election in-charge in Nagpur South West, also dismissed the allegations. “Even the Congress candidate ran a voter registration drive — they copied our model after seeing our success. Just ask Praful Gudadhe Patil,” he said.
Bhoyar added that the constituency had experienced rapid urbanisation, which naturally led to a significant rise in new voters.
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