Gujarat's Electoral Rolls Under Intense Scrutiny Amidst Congress's Alarm

It's fair to say that the integrity of our electoral process is something we all hold dear. So, when the Gujarat Congress recently sounded a rather loud alarm regarding what they're calling an unprecedented surge in the state's voter count, it certainly caught a lot of attention. Their accusation is quite specific: a whopping 67 lakh new voters have apparently been added to the electoral rolls without, they contend, the rigorous verification steps one would expect.

Speaking passionately, Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil didn't mince words. He highlighted that the total number of voters in the state has ballooned from 4.90 crore during the 2022 assembly elections to an astonishing 5.57 crore today. Now, if you do the math, that's a jump of roughly 13.67 percent. And here's where the eyebrows really start to raise: Gohil pointed out that typically, voter lists see an increase of only about 2-3 percent. This drastic difference, he argued, simply cannot be explained away by normal demographic growth.

The Congress leadership isn't just making a general complaint; they've put forth a series of pointed questions to the Election Commission. They're asking for a full, detailed explanation of the 'Special Intensive Revision' (S-I-R) process that led to these additions. More importantly, they want to know the exact verification procedure undertaken for these 67 lakh new names. Was it thorough? Was it truly door-to-door, carried out by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), as protocol dictates? Transparency, they insist, is non-negotiable here.

To further illustrate their concerns, the Congress has zeroed in on specific urban centers that have seen particularly massive increases. Ahmedabad, for instance, has reportedly added 10.60 lakh new voters. Surat isn't far behind with 7.72 lakh, while Vadodara and Rajkot saw increases of 5.17 lakh and 4.09 lakh respectively. These aren't minor adjustments; these are colossal shifts in voter demographics, prompting the opposition to wonder aloud about the underlying methodology.

It's also worth noting the comparison Gohil drew to other states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. These states, despite their own populations and electoral activities, registered a far more typical 2-3 percent growth in their voter rolls. This stark contrast makes Gujarat's figures appear even more anomalous. And just imagine the picture he painted: instances where a single household, in some areas, allegedly had as many as 20 voters registered. One can't help but question the feasibility and legitimacy of such numbers.

Naturally, the Congress views this situation with immense suspicion, especially with the general elections looming. Gohil accused the ruling BJP of potentially leveraging government machinery and the Election Commission to manipulate electoral rolls for political gain. It's a grave allegation that cuts to the very heart of democratic fairness.

However, it's also important to remember that the Election Commission, back in December 2023, did issue a clarification on this very topic. They had stated that the revision process was indeed meticulous, involving comprehensive door-to-door verification by BLOs, followed by reviews from supervisory officers. The EC attributed the significant increase to the inclusion of young individuals newly eligible to vote, along with people who had relocated and registered in their new constituencies. Yet, for the Congress, these explanations, it seems, haven't been enough to quell their anxieties or satisfy their demands for more granular data and absolute transparency.