Rohit Pawar Alleges Massive Electoral Manipulation: Accuses BJP and Election Commission of Undermining Democracy Ahead of 2026 Polls

Mumbai: NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission and the BJP, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being misused to manipulate voter lists in states heading for elections before 2026.

Speaking to reporters, Pawar accused the BJP of orchestrating a systematic plan to “erase opposition voters” under the guise of voter verification. “Maybe they are targeting the states where elections are to take place before 2026. What happened in Bihar? SIR was implemented there, but without going to people’s homes, voter IDs were created or voter lists were compiled, and the names of those who voted for the opposition were removed from that list,” he said.

He further claimed that in Bihar alone, nearly 60 lakh names were removed from the electoral rolls. “If they do this in every state, it’s against democracy,” Pawar asserted.

Referring to the Election Commission’s recent announcement about using Aadhaar data for voter verification, Pawar alleged that such measures enable manipulation rather than transparency. “If you watched their press conference yesterday, they said they would use Aadhaar cards. I personally demonstrated how Aadhaar cards are manipulated,” he said, questioning the integrity of the process.

Pawar went on to accuse the Election Commission of acting as an “extension of the ruling party” rather than an independent institution. “The Election Commission wants every upcoming election managed, and they are working diligently to ensure the BJP can come to power, even if people don’t want it,” he said, adding that it was ironic that “when we criticise the Election Commission, the BJP answers on its behalf.”