New Delhi: The Election Commission on Saturday came out with Lok Sabha constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the elections and asserted that there is a pattern in creating false narratives and mischievous design to vitiate the electoral process.
It said that any alteration in the number of votes polled is not possible. The poll panel came out with the absolute number of voters on its own a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to it on an NGO's plea for uploading polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website.
The EC said it has decided to further expand the format of turnout data to include the absolute number of voters in every parliamentary constituency. The absolute numbers are discernable parliamentary constituency-wise by all citizens by applying the turnout percentage to total electors, both already made available in the public domain, the poll panel said.
Electors are those who are part of the electoral roll and eligible to voters. Voters are those who actually cast their vote in an election. While EC had been issuing turnout percentage, there had been demands to make the actual number of voters in every phase public.
"The Commission feels duly strengthened by the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s observations and verdict on the process of release of turnout data by the Election Commission of India. This brings upon the Commission, a higher responsibility to serve the cause of electoral democracy with undeterred resolution. The Commission has therefore decided to further expand the format of release of turnout data to include the absolute number of voters in every parliamentary constituency, which of course is discernable Parliamentary Constituency wise by all citizens themselves by applying the turnout percentage to total electors, both already made available in public domain. The absolute number of voters for the first five phases is given in Annexure 1- 5," the Commission said in its statement.
"Any alteration in the number of votes polled is not possible. The process of collection and storage of votes polled is rigorous, transparent and participative. The Commission and its officials across the states have been disseminating voter turnout data in the best possible manner, taking into account statutory considerations," it said.
The whole exercise of release of turnout data from the date of commencement of polls on 19th April 2024 has been accurate, consistent and in accordance with election laws and without any discrepancy whatsoever, it claimed.
The Commission said it has informed in public domain and also to individual political parties the detailed process of recording and release of turnout data and the manner of custody and usages of form 17C.
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