– Mohd Naushad Khan
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is facing mounting criticism following the delayed release of voter turnout data for the initial phases of the general elections, amid allegations of discrepancies and potential manipulation. Concerns have been raised over a significant increase of 5.75 percentage points in the final voter turnout figures compared to the provisional data.
On April 30, the Election Commission finally disclosed the final voting statistics for the first two phases. According to the released data, the voter turnout for the first phase, held on April 19, stood at 66.22% among male voters and 66.07% among female voters. For the second phase, conducted on April 26, the voter turnout was 66.99% for male voters and 66.42% for female voters. However, the delay in releasing these figures, especially in comparison to previous elections, has drawn widespread criticism.
Noted social and human rights defender, John Dayal, highlighted the commission’s failure to provide timely and transparent information, citing the delay as a cause for concern. He also raised questions about discrepancies in voting percentages and the deletion of votes, particularly among religious minorities and Dalits.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh expressed dismay over the unprecedented delay in releasing the final voter turnout figures, emphasizing that the ECI had previously provided this information immediately after voting or within 24 hours.
West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, lambasted the Election Commission over the delayed release of final voter turnout figures and raised suspicions regarding the sudden increase in numbers, especially in areas not favorable to the BJP.
Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), voiced concerns about the manipulation of results, highlighting the substantial discrepancies between initial and final turnout figures.
Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge, questioned whether the delay was an attempt to manipulate the final results and called for collective action from opposition parties to address these discrepancies and safeguard democracy.
Yogendra Yadav, founder of Swaraj Abhiyan, criticized the ECI for the prolonged delay in publishing final figures and the lack of transparency in reporting the actual number of votes polled for each constituency.
Overall, the delayed release of voter turnout data, coupled with the significant increase in figures, has raised serious concerns about the transparency and credibility of the electoral process, prompting calls for greater accountability and transparency from the Election Commission.
