Mumbai: After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission and the BJP-led Union government of “vote theft,” the Maharashtra BJP has countered with allegations against the Congress.
BJP Counters Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Theft Charge
BJP MLA from Karad South, Atul Bhosale, who defeated former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in the last Assembly elections has alleged that Chavan’s nephew Indrajit Chavan had registered himself at three different locations in Karad and votes were cast on these names. BJP leaders further claimed that Indrajit’s wife, mother, and son were also registered multiple times in the voter list.
Duplicate Registrations Alleged in Chavan Household
Bhosale’s supporters alleged that another nephew of Prithviraj Chavan, Rahul Chavan, and his family members also had multiple voter registrations. They accused Chavan’s family of changing ages while re-enrolling names and claimed that as many as nine members of the former chief minister’s household had duplicate or even triplicate entries in the electoral rolls.
BJP Says Chavan Benefited from Irregularities
The BJP alleged that Prithviraj Chavan, who currently heads the Congress committee on bogus voting, had himself benefited from such irregularities in previous elections. Karad South BJP leaders said that Chavan’s house in Patan Colony alone had 15 registered voters, many of whom do not even live there.
CM Fadnavis Calls for Answers from Rahul Gandhi
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, reacting to the allegations, said, “Atul Bhosale’s revelations have made it clear who the real vote thief is. Rahul Gandhi must now answer this.”
Opposition Hits Back at BJP Defence of ECI
In response, Congress MLA Nana Patole asked why the Chief Minister was “defending the Election Commission” instead of ensuring fair practices. Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil said, “From the Chief Minister’s statement, it seems he has accepted that bogus enrolment exists. Instead of shielding the ECI, he should join us in holding it accountable.”
Indrajit Chavan Refutes Allegations of Duplicate Voter Registration
Indrajit Chavan has strongly refuted the allegations of duplicate voter registration made against him and his family. He claimed that BJP office-bearers from Karad South constituency have raised these charges only to cover up the alleged vote theft that took place in the name of former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
Chavan Blames Election Commission for Errors
Addressing a press conference, Indrajit Chavan said, “There is a difference between duplicate voter registration and bogus voting. Regarding the duplicate registration of myself and my family members, we had already applied to the Election Commission at that time to remove the extra entries and ensure that our names appear at only one location. Despite this, the presence of multiple entries in the voters’ list is a mistake of the Election Commission itself, and we hold them responsible.”
Demand for Correction in Voter Rolls
He further added, “The real problem lies in the errors within the voters’ list, and we have demanded that it be corrected. However, whenever the Election Commission is questioned, BJP leaders immediately come forward to defend them. This clearly shows what kind of irregularities took place in the election.”
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Chavan Seeks Proof Against Allegations
Highlighting discrepancies, Chavan said, “There is a mismatch between my current age and the age mentioned in the voters’ list. If the voter registration is recent, let it be proven, and if it is being claimed that we engaged in duplicate voting, then let it be proven with evidence. That is our clear demand.”
