New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revealed that it lacks information on the total number of constituency and segment-wise pre-numbered slips issued during the Maharashtra assembly elections in November 2024 and the last Lok Sabha elections held in April-May 2024. This admission came in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by Venkatesh Nayak, director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.
Nayak pointed out that, as per the ECI’s handbook for presiding officers, the officers should have maintained records of the constituency-wise total number of pre-numbered slips issued. However, the ECI claimed that this information is not available in their records.
“lt is to inform you that information as sought by you is not available in the Commission,” the ECI said.
Also read: The Maharashtra Election Puzzle
The controversy surrounding the ECI’s response is further complicated by the fact that the Congress party had filed a complaint with the ECI regarding the surge in voter turnout in Maharashtra on polling day. The ECI rejected the complaint, stating that the additions were legitimate.
However, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reiterated his party’s concerns, stating that the large number of new voters who appeared between the Lok Sabha and assembly elections is “problematic.”
“I said very clearly that the large number of new voters, almost a crore, who suddenly appeared between the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, is problematic,” Gandhi said, while inaugurating the new Congress office on January 15.
Notably, the absence of granular data makes it difficult to independently verify the accuracy of overall vote counts and address public concerns.
