NAVI MUMBAI, Aug. 31 -- Opposition leaders are alleging a massive electoral scandal in Panvel and Navi Mumbai, ahead of local body elections in the state. They claim to have detected the presence of over 160,000 duplicate and fraudulent names in voter lists in these regions, saying it will threaten the integrity of both last year's assembly elections and the upcoming civic polls. Adding momentum to their claims is the campaign by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has alleged "vote chori" (vote theft) by the ruling BJP in various parts of the country. After former MLA and Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWPI) leader Balaram Patil allegedly discovered 85,211 duplicate voter registrations in the Panvel assembly constituency last year, similar claims are being made in neighbouring Navi Mumbai. The Congress here has flagged over 76,000 duplicate names ahead of the impending local body elections in the state. In a written representation to the Thane district collector on August 24, the party claimed the discrepancies could compromise the transparency of the upcoming civic polls. Ravindra Sawant, Navi Mumbai district spokesperson for the Congress, claimed the Airoli assembly constituency has 41,556 duplicate entries, while Belapur accounts for nearly 35,000. He alleged that names are repeated across constituencies and even within the same polling booths. "This is not a clerical error. The scale of duplication - over 76,000 entries - suggests a conspiracy to retain political dominance by misusing the administrative machinery," Sawant said. He added that voters from rural areas have been illicitly added to the rolls of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), and some individuals appear to have been registered in multiple booths, enabling double or triple voting. The Congress delegation has demanded an investigation and immediate release of a revised, error-free voter list. "We have submitted name-wise proof. The Election Commission's credibility is on trial," Sawant said. Thane Collector Shrikrishna Panchal's office has written to the electoral officers of Airoli and Belapur assembly segments, and directed procedural verification according to the prescribed norms. He said if duplicate names were found, action would be taken as per due process. In Panvel, PWPI leader Balaram Patil's revelations have cast a shadow over the November 2024 assembly election, where Patil was the runner-up, losing to the BJP's Prashant Ramsheth Thakur. Patil has accused election officials of "gross negligence" and "deliberate inaction", claiming they ignored a specific Bombay High Court directive of October 11, 2024, which instructed the sub-divisional officer to take a decision within two weeks. According to data presented by Patil, 25,855 individuals were registered twice within the Panvel constituency. Additionally, 588 voters on the Panvel list were found to have untraceable addresses, raising concerns about potential ghost voters. Patil said his fight began long before the election, with repeated complaints to the Election Returning Officer that went unheeded. This led him to file a writ petition in the high court, resulting in the October 11 order. He maintains that no substantive action was taken to cleanse the rolls, allowing the election to proceed with a deeply flawed list. Patil now claims to possess photographic proof of 11,600 individuals who allegedly cast their votes twice. "This is not just a case of administrative error," Patil declared. "It is a calculated fraud on the people of Panvel. We will not rest until those responsible for undermining our democracy are held accountable." Patil said he would file a contempt petition against the election machinery for its alleged disregard of the legal directive. "Rahul Gandhi's concerns about vote theft are not just political rhetoric, they reflect what we have uncovered on the ground in Panvel," he said. Responding to Patil's allegations, Pawan Chandak, sub-divisional officer and returning officer, Panvel, said, "Following the HC order, we have informed Patil of the rule that in an election year, the electoral registration officer cannot delete the names of any voters based on an application or a complaint from a political party. A name can be deleted only if the voter concerned fills out and submits Form No 7." Chandak added, "The prescribed procedure for deleting a name can be done by political parties through their booth level agent (BLA) during voter registration. Each BLA can file five forms. It is necessary that the parties concerned carry it out in that manner. The electoral revision process is expected to begin after September." The office of the chief electoral officer of Maharashtra, S Chockalingam responded to the allegations, saying, "Any objection to an entry in the electoral roll must be made through Form-7. The Electoral Registration Officer is then required to make a decision on the application following due procedures and rules."...