6 million fake voters in Madhya Pradesh, claims Congress; Election Commission orders probe

The Congress on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh of electoral misconduct by including the names of 6 million ‘fake voters’ in the voters’ list and requested the Election Commission to remove all such entries from the electoral rolls of the 230 assembly constituencies in the state.

Soon after a Congress delegation approached it on the issue, the poll panel formed two teams to probe the allegations.

The teams have to submit a report by June 7.

A delegation of the party, led by Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath, met EC officials on Sunday and alleged that the BJP government in the state had included the names of 6 million fake voters in the electoral roll.

“We have given proof to the EC that the voters’ list of Madhya Pradesh is fraudulent. Sixty lakh fake voters have been enlisted in it. We have conducted our own enquiry in 100 constituencies.

“We have given proof to the EC as regards how one voter has been enlisted in different constituencies with the same name, address and father’s name. This cannot be any mistake, it has been done deliberately by the present Madhya Pradesh government,” Nath told reporters after meeting the EC officials in New Delhi.

The Congress leaders also requested the EC for a special monitoring mechanism to remove all the ‘multiple’ and ‘demographically similar’ entries and urged the poll panel to inform all the national political parties on a weekly basis about the status of identification of such voters at least at the district level.

Demanding strict action against the returning officers for their alleged involvement in coming up with such ‘fraudulent’ electoral rolls, the Congress leaders also said the EC should not deploy them on poll duty in the future.

“The officers, who produce the second corrected list, should also give an affidavit or a certificate, along with the correct list,” Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said.

The leaders also pointed out that a 40-per cent rise in the number of voters in the state, as against a 24-per cent rise in the population, was ‘inconceivable and incalculable’ and requested the EC to look into the matter.