Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday wrote a letter to I.N.D.I.A bloc allies asking them to unite and raise their voice against the alleged discrepancies and delay in the Election Commission of India's voter turnout data, in order to "protect the culture of a vibrant democracy and the Constitution".
In a bid to make the ECI more accountable and ensure its "independence," the senior Congress leader raised 6 questions through his letter, alleging that the discrepancies in the figures revealed so far have been done to doctor the final election results, raising questions on the credibilty of the poll body, which he said were at an "all-time low".
These questions were backed by the figures that Kharge stated to back his allegations against ECI.
Kharge stated that it is for the first time that the poll body had not revealed the actual voting numbers and has only announced the final voting percentages of the first and second phases, that too after a long delay.
"In my electoral life of 52 years, I have never witnessed such a high increment of voting percentages, in the final published data, that we now assume came from the later hours of voting on the polling days," Kharge wrote in the letter.
The senior Congress leader also trained guns at the ruling BJP saying that they are "visibly flustered and frustrated by the voting trends and their receding electoral fortunes in the first two phases".
"The entire nation knows that an autocratic regime, drunk with power, can go to any extent to stay in the chair," he added while attacking BJP and PM Modi.
The six questions raised by the Congress national president included:
1. Questioning the ECI over its delayed release of the voter turnout data on 30th April 2024, Kharge wrote: "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)."
2. He further questioned the poll body on why it changed this year and why it hasn't issued any clarification to justify the delay, even after reptitive questions by political parties and activists. Stressing how the ECI used to earlier publish the data within 24 hours of polling, Kharge questioned: "When counting of votes throughout the country can be completed in a few hours time, why can't the ECI give polling booth wise numbers even though more than 2 weeks have passed since phase 1?"
3. Highlighting how the published figures were different from those reported by the media, Kharge asked: "Why is it that on 20.04.2024, the Commission's projected voter turnout for the First Phase was increased to 65.5% from the eralier esitmated 60% and on 27.04.2024, for the Second Phase the voter turnout data was to 66.7% from the earlier estimated 60.96 percent. Finally, on 30.04.2024, the figures were confirmed at 66.14% for the First Phase and 66.71% for the Second Phase?"
4. The senior Congress leader then raised questions on the 5.5 percent increase in the final voter turnout of the first phase polling, which was higher than the delayed release of data on April 30.
"For Second Phase, there is a near increase of more than 5.74% in the final voter turnout from the date of conclusion of voting at 7pm on April 26 to the delayed release of data on April 30."
5. Kharge further criticised the poll body for not mentioning crucial figures including the votes polled in each Parliamentary Constituency and in the respective Assembly Constituencies. He also questioned as to why the poll body did not release the voter turnout in each polling station even though the Presiding Officer records the exact voter turnout in every polling station.
"Why is the ECI not publishing the same for the people instead of shifting the responsibility to candidates by saying the polling agents of candidates also have the details of voter turnout?" he questioned.
6. The Congress president also questioned the ECI on why the final registered voters list of the next phases has not been made public.
"Will the ECI be made answerable for this glaring mismanagement in ensuring the minimum standards for a free and fair election?," Kharge asked.
Previously, Shiv Sena (UBT) also questioned the poll body on the turnout figures and questioned it over its delay in publishing the figures and accusing it of trying to provide backdoor help to someone.