Is EC trying to 'doctor' poll outcome, wonders Congress chief Kharge

NEW DELHI: Underlining the "inordinate" delay in the release of final voter turnout of first two phases and a jump of around 5.5% over the initial projection, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has raised an alarm with the INDIA allies by wondering if it is being done to "doctor" the outcome, since an autocratic BJP can "go to any extent" to retain power.

He said the final figures were released after a delay of 20 days for the first phase and four days for the second phase, while in the past it was done within 24 hours.

In an urgent letter to the allies detailing the "discrepancies", Kharge urged them to protest "collectively, unitedly and unequivocally", adding that the goings on have cast a dark shadow on the functioning of the Election Commission of India whose credibility is at a historic low, and that 2024 elections are a fight "to save democracy and the Constitution".

As he pointed to additional concerns that final registered voters list from third phase onwards has not been released yet, the veteran asked, "Will the ECI be made answerable for this glaring mismanagement in basics in conducting the elections?"

Kharge said turnout was 60% on the evening of voting for the first phase and 60.96% after the second, but was projected at 65.5% and 66.7% a day after. He said final figures released on April 30 were confirmed at 66.14% and 66.71%, which were a massive jump over the initial projections. He said even delayed voting figures don't have crucial data about votes polled in individual Parliamentary seats and assembly segments.

"If the voter turnout data was published within 24 hours of voting along with key figures, then we would have known if the increase (of approx 5%) had been witnessed across seats?",he asked.