Elections 2024:The Supreme Court on Friday declined to grant any interim relief on a plea seeking the public disclosure of Form 17C, which records the number of votes polled in a polling station. The apex court said it could not interrupt the ongoing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The top court outrightly rejected all contentions by petitioners to make data based on Form 17C public, news agency ANI reported.
In an affidavit filed before the SC on Wednesday in response to the plea, the Election Commission (EC) contended that it is not obligated to publish final authenticated data pertaining to voter turnout in all polling stations.
Form 17C Debate In SC: What The Election Commission Said?
The poll body submitted that the publication of Form 17C on its website has the potential of exposing the electoral process to manipulation, adding that there are possibilities of images being morphed, which can create "widespread discomfort and mistrust".
EC Said Disclosure Of Form 17C Might Cause 'Confusion'
"In any electoral contest, the margin of victory may be very close. In such cases, disclosure of Form 17C in public domain may cause confusion in the minds of the voters with regard to the total votes polled as the latter figure would include the number of votes polled as per Form 17C as well as the votes received through postal ballots," EC said in its affidavit.
"However, such difference may not be easily understood by the voters and may be used by persons with motivated interests to cast aspersion on the whole electoral process... cause chaos in the election machinery which is already in motion," the affidavit added.
(With inputs from ANI)