ECI debunks Rahul Gandhi’s ‘match-fixing’ allegations; Fadnavis says he insulted people of Maharashtra

Rahul Gandhi’s op-ed for a national daily on Saturday alleging “match-fixing” in Maharashtra assembly elections drew sharp reactions from the poll panel, which termed the Congress leader’s claims “completely absurd”.

In a point-wise rebuttal to Gandhi’s allegations, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said “unsubstantiated allegations” raised against the electoral rolls of Maharashtra are an affront to the rule of law.

Noting that the Commission had brought out all these facts in its reply to the Congress party on December 24, 2024, and that the document is still available on its website, the ECI accused the Congress leader of ignoring them while raising such issues again and again.

"Any misinformation being spread, by anyone, is not only a sign of disrespect towards the law but also brings disrepute to the thousands of representatives appointed by their own political party and demotivates lakhs of election staff who work untiringly and transparently during elections. After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised is completely absurd," the poll body said in a statement.

Earlier, sharing his article on X, Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, said Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy.

Rahul alleged that the election rigging took place in five steps: rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission, add fake voters to the roll, inflate voter turnout, target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win, and hide the evidence.

“It’s not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra. But rigging is like match-fixing - the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroys public faith in the result,” he said.

Gandhi further alleged that the match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing. “Match-fixed elections are a poison for any democracy,” he added.

Gandhi’s post stirred up a political storm, with the BJP accusing him of insulting the people of Maharashtra.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the claims made by Gandhi amounted to his admission of the Congress's defeat in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections and appealed to him to refrain from "falsely comforting" himself by lying.

"Unless and until Rahul Gandhi understands the ground-level facts and stops lying to himself and giving false comfort and promises, his party will never win. He should awake (from ignorance); otherwise, he will keep talking such things which are devoid of facts," Fadnavis told reporters.

"He (Gandhi) has insulted voters and ladki bahins (beneficiaries of a state government scheme for poor women). I condemn his statement," the chief minister further said.