Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress on Friday staged a flash protest in Mumbai against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of bias and complicity in alleged voter fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The protest, held near the Congress’s Tilak Bhavan office in Dadar, lasted over 30 minutes and led to significant traffic disruptions.
State Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal led the demonstration, which saw senior leaders such as Mohan Joshi, Anant Gadgil, and party spokesperson Atul Londhe participating. Protesters raised slogans such as “Murdabad Murdabad Chunav Ayog Murdabad,” “Nahi Chalegi Nahi Chalegi, Dadagiri Nahi Chalegi,” and “Modi Sarkar, Chor Hain,” targeting both the ECI and the BJP-led NDA government.
The protest followed a press conference by Mr. Sapkal at Tilak Bhavan, where he launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Calling him a “cheap minister” and the “dalal” (broker) of the ECI, Sapkal said, “The chief minister’s post in Maharashtra is highly respected, but Mr. Fadnavis has failed to uphold its dignity. When one takes the oath of the Constitution, they should not act like a ‘cheap minister’. This is a disrespect to Maharashtra.”
The Congress leader’s remarks came a day after Mr. Fadnavis dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote theft in Maharashtra” as baseless, saying that the Congress leader’s brain had either been stolen or a chip was missing from it.
Mr. Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had on Thursday accused the BJP and the ECI of committing “a huge criminal fraud” in the 2024 general elections, particularly in seats such as Bangalore Central. He alleged that 1,00,250 votes were stolen.
Mr. Sapkal defended Mr. Gandhi’s charges, stating that he had presented substantial evidence and that BJP leaders resorted to personal attacks to divert attention. “The language used by Mr. Fadnavis against Mr. Gandhi raises serious questions: Is he acting as the ECI’s broker, its lawyer, or its spokesperson? Why do the BJP and Mr. Fadnavis get so agitated whenever the poll body is questioned? Why do Amit Shah and the Maharashtra CM rush to defend it?” Mr. Sapkal asked.
The state Congress chief further claimed that his party had raised objections during and after the polling process and that several defeated candidates had filed petitions in the High Court. Evidence of electoral fraud, he said, had been submitted to the ECI at the time. “The BJP is only trying to confuse people,” he added.
The Maharashtra Congress announced plans to intensify its agitation in the coming weeks, with statewide rallies, marches, and yatras to protest alleged voter fraud and to demand accountability from the ECI.