States » SouthPosted at: Jun 8 2025 2:34PM


Electoral manipulation done favouring BJP in Maharashtra, will be attempted in Bihar: Chennithala

Thiruvananthapuram, June 8 (UNI) AICC Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday alleged that a "large level electoral manipulation" took place favouring the BJP in Maharashtra, and cautioning that the same modus operandi will be repeated during Bihar polls.
"A large level electoral manipulation was done favouring the BJP in Maharashtra. The same thing will be attempted in Bihar, Chennithala, also the in-ahcarge of the party in Maharashtra, told UNI.
The BJP-led Maha Yuti alliance swept the Assembly polls in Maharashtra last November decimating the Maha Vikas Aghadi. The Assembly polls in Bihar are scheduled to take place around November this year.
Chennithala was speaking in context of senior Congress leader's allegations of electoral manipulation during the Maharashtra polls that ensure the BJP's victory.
"With irrefutable facts and unflinching clarity, Rahul Gandhi has exposed a chilling truth: the mandate of the people in Maharashtra was hijacked — not by the will of the voters, but through manipulation, deceit, and a systematic assault on democratic institutions," Chennithala had said in a press statement on Saturday night..
"When I assumed charge of Maharashtra in early 2024, the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi defied the Modi wave in the Lok Sabha elections."
"The people of Maharashtra stood tall against propaganda and pressure, delivering a decisive verdict that sent the BJP alliance reeling. The BJP’s loss in Maharashtra, along with its poor performance in Uttar Pradesh, was pivotal in preventing it from securing an absolute majority at the national level."
And yet, merely six months later, in the Assembly elections, that same Maha Vikas Aghadi -- which was poised to win over 170 seats -- was reduced to just 50, he said.
"Is it believable that this staggering turnaround was due to governance or public sentiment?" he asked.
"Even the most loyal BJP supporter would hesitate to make such a claim. If Prime Minister Modi himself could not sway Maharashtra, are we to believe that Eknath Shinde - whose politics is marred by betrayal and unprincipled opportunism - could command such a wave?" Chennithala said.
"This was not a coincidence. It was a calculated and premeditated operation to distort the electoral mandate. Democracy in Maharashtra was not defeated - it was subverted," he said.
Chennithala said while in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra had 89.8 million registered voters, the number had gone up by the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, to 92.9 million - a five-year increase of 3.1 million.
"However, within just five months, during the 2024 Assembly elections, the voter count inexplicably jumped to 97 million - a sudden spike of 4.1 million in less than half a year," he said,
"This figure defies logic. Even the official estimate of adult population in Maharashtra stands at 95.4 million," he said.
Chennithala also complained of the turnout figure being raised from 58.22% to 66.05 percent.
"With no reports of long queues or late-night voting, it should have remained roughly constant. Instead, by the next morning, the turnout had miraculously jumped to 66.05% -- an overnight addition of over 7.6 million votes, predominantly favouring BJP candidates," he said.
"What do we call this if not a massive electoral fraud? There is no more ruthless way to assassinate democracy," he said.
"We call upon every citizen to stay vigilant, stay informed, and stay united. For if we allow such subversion to go unchecked, we may soon lose not just elections -- but the very freedoms that define us," Chennithala added.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the 2024 Maharashtra polls were "rigged" and would serve as a "blueprint for rigging democracy", and added that the same "match-fixing will come to Bihar next". UNI DS ARN SSP
Tags: #Electoral manipulation done favouring BJP in Maharashtra# will be attempted in Bihar: Chennithala
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