New Delhi, June 26: After the Election Commission invited Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for talks over his allegations regarding the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Congress party on Thursday responded through a letter. The Congress party has urged the Election Commission to share a digital, machine-readable copy of the Maharashtra voter list and polling day video footage from both Maharashtra and Haryana within a week, saying they will meet the EC and present their analysis once the data is received.

In the letter, the Congress party wrote, "We request you to provide us with a machine-readable, digital copy of the Maharashtra voter lists and video footage of the polling day of Maharashtra and Haryana within a week from the date of this letter. This has been a long-standing request that should be easy for the EC to comply with. The Congress party leadership will be happy to meet with the EC soon after we have received these. In that meeting, we will even present our analysis findings to you." Sharing Video Footage of Polling Stations Breaches Voters’ Privacy: Election Commission Officials After Congress Demands Polling Booth CCTV Footage.

Congress leader Pawan Khera also reiterated the party's demand for a machine-readable digital copy of the Maharashtra voter list and polling day video footage from Maharashtra and Haryana, saying it has been a long-pending request and should be easy for the Election Commission to fulfil. In a post on X, Pawan Khera wrote, "'We request you to provide us the machine-readable, digital copy of the Maharashtra voter lists and video footage of polling day of Maharashtra and Haryana within a week from the date of this letter. This has been a long- standing request which should be easy to comply for the EC.'"

"The@INCIndiaresponse to the letter by the@ECISVEEP," the post reads. Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had earlier called upon the Election Commission to publish consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states, including Maharashtra, saying that "telling the truth" will protect the poll panel's credibility. ‘Match Is Fixed’: Rahul Gandhi Alleges Election Commission of India ‘Deleting Evidence’ Instead of Giving Answers After EC Decides to Destroy CCTV Footage of Polls 45 Days After the Results.

Congress Seeks Voter Data, Poll Footage From Election Commission

Gandhi also cited a news report and claimed that the voter list grew by eight per cent in just five months in Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's constituency, labelling it as "vote theft". "In Maharashtra CM's constituency, the voter list grew by 8 per cent in just 5 months. Some booths saw a 20-50 per cent surge. BLOs reported unknown individuals casting votes. Media uncovered thousands of voters with no verified address," Gandhi said on X. "And the EC? Silent - or complicit. These aren't isolated glitches. This is vote theft. The cover-up is the confession. "That's why we demand the immediate release of machine-readable digital voter rolls and CCTV footage," Gandhi said.

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