The Election Commission of India issued a comprehensive clarification on the issue related to the percentage of voting in Maharashtra assembly elections on Tuesday.
They responded to Congress regarding certain irregularities in the roll and alleged discrepancies in voters' turnout on November 20, 2024. It stated that all steps for the conduct of free and fair elections with transparency were followed.
Explanation on voting percentage
The Election Commission of India categorically denied Congress claims on voters' turnout anomalies. It argued that comparing turnout data at 5 p.m. with the final tally at 11:45 p.m. is misleading, as voter turnout naturally increases during the data aggregation process.
The final turnout figures are compiled from Form 17C, an official record of votes cast at each polling station. This form is provided to all authorized agents of candidates as the polling booths close; hence the data is correct and clear.
The commission assured that after the booth closes, no manipulation would be done because Form 17C acts as a source that cannot be tampered with.
On complaints of "irregularities" in the electoral rolls
There has been a concern raised from the Congress party regarding adding 50,000 electors across 50 constituencies between July and November 2024, by claims that 47 constituencies were won by Mahayuti.
The allegations are dismissed as misleading from ECI, as this addition of more than 50,000 electors has happened in only six constituencies. The Commission noted that these numbers did not support the Congress' claim that the results in 47 constituencies were affected by these inclusions.
The ECI elaborated that electoral roll preparation is accompanied by an explanatory process behind it. Here, any additions or deletions were done strictly based on rules with the political parties involved in full consultation. Any deletion is subject to a valid reason - death, shift from earlier place, or double listing. And the electoral rolls updation was not just a casual process, where Congress also had its due share.
The ECI reaffirmed its commitment to making the electoral process transparent and participatory. It placed on record the active engagement of political parties, contestants, and the public during the preparation and finalisation of the electoral rolls. The Commission also mentioned the fact that comprehensive electoral information, including Form 20, is put up for public access on the Chief Electoral Officer's website accessible to all concerned.
Deletions not improper
To address the complaints regarding bulk deletions, the ECI clarified that there were no irregularities. On average, there were 2,779 deletions per constituency based on deaths, relocation, and double entries. All these followed the established procedure with a Congress representative being present in the process to ensure the process was fair.
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