False campaign being run to discredit Lok Sabha polls: EC on turnout figure claims

PTI, Aug 5, 2024, 9:01 AM IST

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Sunday rejected the analysis by a citizens’ platform about unusually big difference between voter turnout figures declared initially and the final figures in the Lok Sabha elections, and said a “false campaign” is being run to discredit the polls.

The development comes a day after the Congress on Saturday cited a report by ‘Vote for Democracy’ which has raised questions about substantial hike in the Lok Sabha voting turnout percentages and urged the EC to address the concerns.

The report had said there is an unusually big difference between the voter turnout figures declared initially and the final figures, especially in some states such as Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

In a series of posts on X, the EC said, “False campaign is being run by some (other than candidates) in furtherance of design to discredit largest elections ever held in the history of mankind in most transparent manner involving candidates/ stakeholders at every stage of elections.” It said “unfounded attempts” were made to compare approx turnout figures at 7 pm on poll day when many polling stations might be closing poll or voters waiting in queue with ‘End of Poll’ turnout available a day after poll day.

The EC said electoral data and outcomes are strictly as per statutory forms and procedures under the electoral law.

“While legitimate means to challenge an electoral outcome by a candidate or elector is through an election petition, no election petition is reportedly filed on such grounds,” it said.

An election petition (EP) can be filed within 45 days of the announcement of results.

The EC said a lesser number of EPs have been reportedly filed in 79 seats in 2024 as against 138 EPs in the 2019 parliamentary polls.