Leaders of the opposition bloc INDIA are likely to meet the Election Commission on Friday to discuss their demand to quickly release absolute voter turnout figures in the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections after each phase, sources told PTI.
While sources had earlier said the meeting was scheduled for Thursday, it was later moved to Friday. Opposition leaders will also raise the issue of the BJP’s alleged “use of religious symbols” in its campaign, sources added, PTI reported.
INDIA block parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist), have written to the poll panel separately so far, expressing concern over the alleged “delay” in releasing turnout data electoral in the first two. stages. Amid accusations from the opposition, the electoral body stated that booth data on the “actual number of votes polled” is available to candidates shortly after the end of voting.
In a statement issued last week, the EC also said it attaches “due importance” to timely release of voter turnout figures after each phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and said that not only the the electoral districts, but also from the booths about the actual number of votes obtained is available with the candidates, which is a legal requirement.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday wrote to leaders of various opposition parties over the issue of alleged “discrepancies” in voting data released by the Election Commission (EC). In his letter, Kharge urged INDIA bloc leaders to raise their voice “collectively, unitedly and unequivocally” on the issue. The EC officially shared the turnout figure for the first two phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on April 30. According to EC figures, a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in phase one and 66.71 per cent in phase two of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. elections in 2024. For the third phase of voting that took place on Tuesday, the EC’s voter turnout app showed on Wednesday that 65.55 percent of voting had been done.
A Monday press release from the EC also contained the total number of electors in each seat, along with vote percentage figures. However, opposition parties have also sought details on the number of voters who exercised their right to vote. Several opposition parties have also approached the poll panel over speeches made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders during election campaigns, alleging that the Model Code of Conduct had been violated. Based on complaints lodged by the opposition parties and the BJP, the poll panel had earlier issued notices to BJP president JP Nadda and Congress president Kharge over alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct by leaders of their parties.
(With input from PTI)