Supreme Court Petition Filed Over Alleged Fake Entries in Mahadevapura Electoral Roll

Speedy summary

• A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to investigate alleged “vote-value dilution” due to fictitious entries in electoral rolls, particularly in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency (Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha seat).
• The petitioner, Rohit Pandey, is a Supreme Court advocate who claims voters are registered with multiple Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers across constituencies.
• Evidence provided includes EPIC numbers and voter details from Mahadevapura (Karnataka), Jogeshwari East (Maharashtra), Lucknow East, and Varanasi Cantonment.
• Allegations include duplicate registrations:

– Some voters were registered twice within the same constituency under different EPIC numbers.
– In Mahadevapura alone: 10,452 duplicate entries; identical particulars for 10,652 voters at various booths; and over 40,000 invalid registrations identified.

• Other complaints include anomalies such as:

– Maharashtra witnessing an addition of about 39 lakh new voters within four months after recent elections.
– At Chandrapur booth number 350: Around 80 voters registered at an uninhabited house.

• Petition cites grave errors by the Election Commission of India affecting Articles 324 and 326 of the Constitution covering election integrity.

Indian Opinion analysis

This petition raises critical concerns regarding India’s electoral integrity. If these allegations hold merit, they touch on essential democratic principles such as “one person, one vote.” Lapses like duplicate EPIC registrations or large-scale additions without adequate verification could erode public trust in institutions tasked with election management.

The claimed discrepancies-such as tens of thousands of duplicates within constituencies-underscore potential vulnerabilities in data governance mechanisms employed by the Election Commission. Furthermore, registering individuals under fictitious addresses highlights structural gaps that require rectification to prevent misuse.

From a broader perspective, addressing these issues promptly is imperative for ensuring confidence ahead of critical upcoming elections.Judicial intervention may serve as a robust avenue to scrutinize and strengthen existing systems while affirming India’s commitment to free and fair elections-a cornerstone of its democracy.

Read more: The Hindu