NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad on Sunday said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has failed to respond to queries raised by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi regarding vote fraud.

He claimed that the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections were managed and that the Mahayuti alliance won by stealing votes.

“How could 76 lakh votes increase (in the last hour of polling) in Maharashtra? I reiterate that the assembly elections were managed. This government came to power by stealing votes,” Awhad said while addressing a press conference in Akola.

He said the Election Commission couldn’t answer queries raised by Rahul Gandhi.

“How could they respond? The same EC approves parties of defectors. They won’t accept allegations,” Awhad said in a veiled reference to the recognition granted to breakaway factions of the Shiv Sena and NCP by the poll body in the past.

Rahul Gandhi had raised allegations of “vote chori” and cited data from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to claim that over 1 lakh votes were “stolen” in the Mahadevapura assembly segment in Karnataka through five types of manipulation. He had also alleged similar irregularities in other states.

On Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said Gandhi should either give a declaration under oath within seven days on his allegations of irregularities in the voter list, else his ‘vote theft’ claims would be rendered baseless and invalid.