ECI invites Congress deletation on Dec 3, assures review of all legitimate concerns

NEW DELHI: Noting that a transparent process is followed with the involvement of candidates and their agents at every stage of the voting process, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has invited a Congress delegation for a meeting on December 3 over its apprehensions concerning the voting percentage in Maharashtra elections.

The Congress had also raised some apprehensions about the EVM process after the Haryana assembly polls. The poll panel has said it will review all legitimate concerns of Congress and provide written response after hearing the party’s delegation.

The Election Commission of India (ECI), in its interim response to Congress, reaffirmed that there is a transparent process with the involvement of candidates or their agents at every stage. The ECI also reiterated that there is a transparent electoral roll updation process with the involvement of political parties. The Commission has still assured Congress of further review of all its legitimate concerns, the officials said.

Responding to the issue raised by Congress regarding voter turnout data, EC asserted that there is no discrepancy in voter turnout data which is available with all candidates polling station-wise and is verifiable.

“The gap in 5 pm polling data and final voter turnout is due to procedural priorities, as presiding officers perform multiple statutory duties near the close of the poll before updating voter turnout data. As an additional disclosure measure, ECI press note, around 11.45 pm, was thus introduced during the 2024 General Elections and followed subsequently during all assembly elections thereafter,” the poll panel said.

The Congress on Friday alleged that the “integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised” and slammed the Election Commission. The issue was discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting and the party said it will launch a “national movement”.

“The Congress Working Committee (CWC) believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission. Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take up these public concerns as a national movement”, the Congress statement said.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal says, “The CWC also accepted that the party performance, as indeed that of its MVA allies, in Maharashtra, has been unexplainable and shocking. The electoral outcome is beyond normal understanding, it appears… pic.twitter.com/Vb52Xpu59K

— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2024

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, who briefed the media, said that “electoral malpractices” also influenced the result of the Haryana Assembly election. “The CWC also acknowledged that the party’s performance in Haryana has been contrary to all expectations. The INC should have formed the government in the state by a convincing margin, but it didn’t. However, there have been electoral malpractices that influenced the result in the state, which have been overlooked”, he alleged.

He said that the CWC accepted the party’s performance in Maharashtra, that was “unexplainable and shocking”, and it appears to be a clear case of “targeted manipulation”.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole also wrote to the ECI seeking to know how voter turnout increased by 7.83 percentage points after the official polling time had ended. “Doubts are being raised from many levels on the 7.83 per cent increase in votes. Looking at the vote figures announced by the Election Commission, there must have been long queues at the polling stations after 5 pm on the day of voting. In how many constituencies in the state were there long queues of voters after 5 pm?” Patole said his letter to the apex poll body.

He further demanded that the Election Commission announce “evidence”, including video footage. “According to the official figures released by the Election Commission, 65.2 per cent voting was done till 11.30 pm on November 20. The official figures released on the next day, i.e. on November 21 at 3 pm, were 66.05 per cent. Where did the 1.03 per cent discrepancy in the figures officially released by the Election Commission itself come from? How did a whopping 9,99,359 votes increase in a single day?” he asked.

The opposition has raised questions over EVMs, mentioning the rise in voting percentage in the Maharashtra polls. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Sharad Pawar and the Congress, won just 46 seats.

The BJP emerged as the biggest winner with 132 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly while its allies, the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, and the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, won 57 and 41 seats, respectively. The Maharashtra Assembly elections were held on November 20 and the results were declared on November 23. (ANI)