Impossible to change data of votes polled: EC

The number of votes polled cannot be altered, the Election Commission of India said on Saturday as it released constituency-wise details of the absolute number of votes cast in the first five phases of the ongoing general elections, just over a month after the first rounds were held. “The Commission has therefore decided to expand the format of turnout data to include the absolute number of voters in every parliamentary constituency,” the ECI said in a press release, noting that the absolute number could already be calculated using the percentage turnout and total electors, which are publicly available. On the day of polling during the five rounds held prior to Saturday, the poll panel issued press notes containing estimated turnout from the ECI’s Voter Turnout App, which the commission said was “only tentative or provisional”, “non-statutory” and “through a secondary source” in a May 22 reply to an application by Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause. Some candidates, like Dr Lubna Sarwath from a small regional party Vidhyarthula Rajakiya Party, who contested from Hyderabad on May 13, do not have the resources to hire polling agents to monitor polling booths and thus do not have access to Form 17C Part I. Kumar told ANI News that there is an attempt to create doubt and the ECI will eventually expose “what is the play here.” He said people are misled into questioning voter lists and rules. On Friday, the Supreme Court declined to issue directives to the ECI regarding disclosing authenticated turnout records within 48 hours, emphasising a “hands-off approach” during the ongoing elections.