The Election Commission of India (ECI) in a strongly worded letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed deep concern over his recent statement questioning the integrity of the electoral process. The Election Commission has reprimanded Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for raising questions on the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The Election Commission said that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s letter written to opposition leaders on the voting percentage figures is an attempt to carry forward a prejudiced discussion.
On the letter written by Kharge regarding the voting percentage figures, the Election Commission said that the present and past irresponsible statements of the Congress are disturbing. The Election Commission rejected Kharge’s allegations regarding mismanagement and delay in releasing the voting percentage data, calling them baseless and without facts.
What is the whole matter?
Parties in the ‘India’ alliance, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), have so far written separate letters to the Election Commission over the alleged ‘delay’ in releasing the voting data for the first two phases. Concern has been expressed. Amid allegations from the opposition, the ECI had claimed that booth-wise data of “actual number of votes polled” was available to the candidates immediately after the end of polling.
In a statement issued last week, the Election Commission had also said that it gives “due importance” to timely release of voting data after each phase of voting. Not only the constituency but also the booth-wise data of actual polling is available with the candidates, which is a statutory requirement.
Congress President Kharge had on Tuesday written a letter to leaders of various opposition parties on the issue of alleged “discrepancies” in the voting data released by the Election Commission. In his letter, Kharge urged the leaders of ‘India’ to raise their voice clearly on this issue with collectiveness and solidarity.
On April 30, the Election Commission officially shared the voting figures for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections. According to the Commission’s data, 66.14 percent voting was recorded in the first phase of the current Lok Sabha elections and 66.71 percent voting was recorded in the second phase.