“Make EC accountable…” Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge writes to INDIA opposition parties over discrepancies in the voter turnout data of Phase 1 & 2

Congress President and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday has written to all opposition leaders under INDIA alliance bloc over the “discrepancy” in the voter turn out data of the first two phases of Lok Sabha election already polled, released by Election Commission of India (ECI), claiming the apprehensions have “case a dark shadow on the functioning of the ECI”. The first phase was on April 19 and the second phased polling happened on April 26, however in a clear departure from the previous convention, instead of releasing the final voter turnout data within 24 hours of polling, the final voter turnout data was released by ECI after 11 days since the first phase and four days after the second phase, raising doubts over the delay. Opposition parties have so far claimed that Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has been on the Blackfoot in the 102 seats and 88 seats that underwent polling in Phase 1 and Phase 2 respectively, the saffron party has however rejected such claims. 

“Now for the First Phase (102 Seats), the Commission said that as on 7pm on 19.04.2024, the estimated voter turnout was around 60%, while similarly for the Second Phase (88 Seats), the estimated voter turnout was around 60.96 %… Why is it that on 20.04.2024, the Commission’s projected voter turnout for the First Phase was increased to 65.5% and on 27.04.2024, for the Second Phase the voter turnout data was to 66.7%. Finally on 30.04.2024, the figures were confirmed at 66.14% for the First Phase and 66.71% for the Second Phase?” Mallikarjun Kharga questioned in the letter. He further asked say why the total number of votes polled in the first two phases have not been released along with the data of voter turnout. Number of votes polled, corresponding to the turn out percentage used be released in single data previously but that hasn’t happened so far. 

“We ask the Commission - For First Phase, why is there a near increase of ~5.5% in the final voter turnout from date of conclusion of voting (at 7pm on 19.04.2024) to the delayed release of voter turnout data (On 30.04.2024)? For Second Phase, there is a near increase of more than ~5.74% in the final voter turnout from the date of conclusion of voting (at 7pm on 26.04.2024) to the delayed release of data (On 30.04.2024)?”, Kharge further questioned. 

The delay in the release of data, now touted to be incomplete by opposition, had led to the political showdown in middle of the ongoing elections, with several opposition parties have cast aspersions if the delay was to help BJP manipulate and better their fortunes in the seats where they were tallying behind. While provincially the turnout data released on the polling day soon after election is never the same as the final data, since the final data always sees a spike after accounting for votes being polled after the stipulated time considering there could be people who were standing on the queue as the time got over, yet were allowed to cast their franchise since they were already on the queue but Kharge claims he has never witnessed such “a high increment of voting percentages” in his 52 years of political career. 

He has urged all the parties to continue raising the issue to ensure the ECI held accountable. The ECI has however not issued any statement as yet either over the delay in release of data or over the doubts raised by political parties.