Lok Sabha Elections: ECI Denounces Congress President Kharge's Allegations As 'Attempts To Hinder Free & Fair Polls'

The Election Commission condemned allegations from Congress President Kharge about discrepancies in voter turnout data during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The ECI dismissed the claims as baseless and attempts to hinder the free and fair polls.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sternly criticised Mallikarjun Kharge, the President of the Indian National Congress, for what it terms as "aggression on vitals of live election operations" through his recent statements concerning the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024. In a strongly worded response, the ECI refuted Kharge's allegations, labelling them as baseless and detrimental to the conduct of free and fair polls.

In a formal letter to Kharge, the Election Commission denounced his assertions regarding the release of voter turnout data, describing them as attempts to sow confusion and impede the electoral process. The Commission emphasised that such unfounded claims could adversely affect voter participation and undermine the efforts of the election machinery across states.

"From the material that you have placed on the said platform, it is discernable that under the guise of need to seek clarifications from the Election Commission of India, in effect, you have articulated statements which are actually verifiable and thus within knowledge to be incorrect, aimed at pushing a biased narrative, in the face of verifiable facts," the ECI stated.

Responding to Kharge's letter addressed to leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, the ECI expressed strong disapproval, rejecting his contentions as insinuations and innuendos.

Highlighting the factual timeline of voter turnout data release from the 2019 general elections onwards, the Election Commission dismissed any suggestion of delay or mismanagement. "The very premise that voter turnout data was released late is devoid of facts as it has always been available on the Voter turnout APP," the Commission clarified.

"The Commission has not changed the design or periodicity of displaying voter turnout data in any manner," the Election Commission stated, countering Kharge's claims.

The ECI further stressed, "Commission has found your communication placed in the public domain in the middle of the ongoing election process as highly undesirable and one that appears designed to create confusion/misdirection/impediment to the conduct of smooth, free and fair elections which is the mandate of ECI under the constitution."

"Therefore, to uphold the integrity of the election process, in the face of an aggression on the vitals of live conduct of election coming from your statements, Commission categorically rejects your insinuations/ allegations and advises you to exercise caution and refrain in making such statements," it added.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh defended Kharge's stance remarking that ECI's response is "simply beyond description". "The ECI is a Constitutional body entrusted with the responsibility of being an impartial body that ensures and is seen to ensure, a level playing field for all political parties," he noted.

"Both the content and intent of the letter will be a permanent blot on the reputation of an institution that can boast of luminaries like Sukumar Sen, TN Seshan, JM Lyngdoh, and others," Ramesh further commented.

He stressed that the Congress President had raised "perfectly legitimate issues" on which there have been extensive comments, stating that it is "deeply regrettable" how the ECI is handling these concerns.

Kharge's Letter To I.N.D.I.A Bloc Allies

In a letter addressed to I.N.D.I.A bloc allies, Kharge raised concerns over alleged discrepancies and delays in the release of voter turnout data by the ECI. He urged allies to unite and voice their opposition to safeguard the integrity of democracy and the constitution.

Kharge's letter included six questions aimed at holding the ECI accountable for the perceived discrepancies. He questioned the delayed release of voter turnout data, the absence of clarifications from the ECI, discrepancies between published and reported figures, and the failure to disclose crucial details such as votes polled in each constituency.

Additionally, Kharge criticised the ECI for not making the final registered voters list of the next phases public, raising concerns about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process.

The ECI's response comes amidst mounting criticism from opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), questioning the transparency and efficiency of the electoral process.