- By Vivek Raj
- Sat, 11 May 2024 07:37 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced 65.68% voter turnout recorded in Phase 3 of Lok Sabha Election 2024, revising it from 67.33%. The third phase of the election was held at 93 seats across 11 states and a Union Territory on May 7. Since the onset of first phase of polls, there have been apprehensions regarding the delay in publishing the vboter turnout data by Election Commission officials. Raking up the issue, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also wrote a letter to INDIA Bloc leaders, questioning the “unreasonable delay”.
In his letter, Kharge said that apart from the delay, the voter turnout data released by the Commission does not mention crucial yet related figures, such as the votes polled in each parliamentary constituency and in the respective assembly constituencies. Meanwhile, the Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Friday moved to Supreme Court seeking to direct the Election Commission of India to “publish the authenticated data of votes polled immediately.”
ECI Voter Turnout Data In Previous Phases:
- Phase 1
During the first phase of polling on April 19, the ECI reported a turnout of 62.37 per cent, as per news agency PTI, with expectations of it increasing as reports came in from polling stations where voting continued beyond the scheduled cut-off time. The next day, PTI reported that the voter turnout is likely to reach 65.5%, attributing it to senior officials in the ECI. After nearly 10 days of polling, ECI revised the voter turnout data to 66.14 per cent.
- Phase 2
Similarly, after the end of polling for the second phase on April 26, the voter turnout data published by ECI on its Voter Turnout app at 7 pm was at 60.96 per cent. However, on April 27, a PTI report stated that the voter turnout might reach 66.7 per cent. In the revised data shared by the ECI on April 30, the voter turnout was recorded at 66.71 per cent.
- Phase 3
Following the third phase of voting on May 7, the ECI initially estimated a turnout of 61.45% at 8pm, later revising it to 63.47 per cent before midnight. On May 8, the ECI updated the approximate voter turnout at 65.68 per cent. Today, the ECI shared the official turnout for phase 3 polling, which stood at 65.68 per cent, similar to the approx turnout.
Opposition Critique Over Delay In Voter Turnout Data By EC
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on May 7 penned a letter to INDIA Bloc leaders over the alleged discrepancies in the voting data released by the Election Commission. In his letter, Kharge urged the INDIA bloc leaders to raise their voices against voting data discrepancies, for "our only objective is to protect the culture of a vibrant democracy and the Constitution".
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"On 30th April 2024, the Election Commission released the final voter turnout data for the first 2 phases of elections for the 2024 Lok Sabha. The data was released 11 days after the first phase of polling (19th April 2024) and 4 days after the Second Phase (26th April 2024). In this regard our first question for the Election Commission is - Why did the Commission delay the release of voter turnout data?" Kharge said in a post on X.
Taking note of Kharge’s letter, the ECI strongly criticised his statements regarding the voter turnout data, accusing him of undermining the integrity of the election process and intentionally causing confusion among the public. Additionally, the EC condemned Kharge's alleged manipulation of public sentiment by falsely claiming a delay in the disclosure of voter turnout information. The commission labeled Kharge's accusations as an attempt to promote a biased narrative under the pretext of seeking clarification.
The poll panel said while Kharge was free to express concerns with leaders of other parties, making the letter public raised question marks on the intention. It advised the Congress veteran to "exercise caution" and "refrain" from making such statements.
ADR Moves Supreme Court Over ‘Unreasonable Delay’
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking to direct the Election Commission of India (ECI) ‘to publish the authenticated data of votes polled immediately’ in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
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ADR highlighted that the ECI has been delaying the publication of voter turnout data, with the figures for the first phase of polling released 11 days later and those for the second phase released after 4 days.
Moreover, there has been a significant variation of over 5% between the initial data released on polling day and the final voter turnout data. ADR expressed concern that the ECI's reluctance to disclose the absolute number of votes polled, combined with the unreasonable delay in releasing the data, has created doubts among voters regarding the substantial increase in turnout between the initial and final figures.