– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi, May 24: The Congress has strongly criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its refusal to release data from Form 17C, which records the total number of votes cast at each polling booth. The main opposition party contends that this stance, if unchallenged, could undermine democracy and facilitate voter fraud, potentially benefiting the BJP.
At a press conference held at the party headquarters, CWC member and spokesperson Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi emphasized that the Congress is not questioning the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) but is merely requesting transparency in vote data.
“Through this stand in its ridiculous affidavit, the ECI is falling into the trap of the BJP to orchestrate, decimate, demolish, and distract electoral democracy,” Singhvi stated.
On May 22, the ECI informed the Supreme Court that there is no legal requirement for the commission to disclose voter turnout data based on Form 17C. The ECI argued that such disclosure could be misused, potentially leading to public distrust.
Dr. Singhvi challenged the ECI’s arguments, finding it unreasonable and unfeasible to withhold the data. He also found the commission’s concerns about potential mischief and electoral disruption to be exaggerated and baseless.
Singhvi further expressed disappointment with the ECI’s delayed and vague responses to complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, criticizing the lack of action against their alleged inflammatory speeches. He pointed out that despite the ECI’s communication to BJP president J.P. Nadda regarding poll code violations, Prime Minister Modi continued his divisive rhetoric in an election rally in Haryana on May 23.
The Congress spokesperson accused the ECI of partisanship, asserting that the commission has become biased towards one political party. He warned that the ECI’s credibility and independence are at risk, and democracy is in “grave danger” when a constitutional body appears to align with the ruling power.
Highlighting a significant concern, Singhvi mentioned that with 379 Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) having voted till Phase 4, the ECI has reportedly added approximately 1.07 crore bogus votes in the EVMs. This claim is supported by the absence of published voter turnout data for phases 1-5. According to Singhvi, these extra votes have skewed the results in favor of the BJP, given that the typical winning margins range from 26,000 to 50,000 votes per candidate.
Reports from Assam and Telangana say that an average of 28,000 and 60,000 votes per constituency, respectively, were allegedly added. Similar irregularities were claimed in the Gujarat assembly elections, where 16 lakh votes were reportedly added in the final hour of polling.
Singhvi urged the ECI to restore its integrity and function as an independent constitutional body, rather than appearing as an extension of the government, to safeguard democracy.
