The Election Commission of India (ECI) has dismissed allegations of discrepancies in voter turnout data during the Maharashtra Assembly elections held last month. Responding to a complaint filed by the Congress on November 29, the poll panel clarified there were no irregularities in the voting process or data compilation.
Congress Alleges Arbitrary Deletions and Additions
The Congress had raised concerns about alleged arbitrary deletion and addition of voters and an unexplained increase in voting percentages. In its detailed response, the ECI rebutted these claims, asserting that the electoral process was transparent and followed statutory guidelines.
Regarding the reported rise in voting percentages between 5 p.m. and the final declaration at 11:30 p.m. on polling day (November 20), the ECI stated, “There is no discrepancy whatsoever in the voter turnout.” It emphasized that such increases reflect the aggregation process rather than any malpractice.
Decentralized Electoral System
The ECI highlighted that India’s electoral framework operates on a decentralized system where data is accounted for at the polling station level. Aggregation at the Assembly or Parliamentary constituency level is primarily an administrative process. The commission noted, “The concept of voter turnout is not defined in election laws, nor is there any statutory requirement to publish turnout data at constituency, state, or national levels.”
The ECI clarified that using the 5 p.m. data as the final voter turnout is a misconception, as final figures are compiled after the conclusion of polling.
Addressing Allegations of Voter Additions and Deletions
On claims of arbitrary voter additions, the ECI revealed that only six constituencies, not 50 as alleged, recorded more than 50,000 new voters between July and November 2024. It called the Congress’s claims “misleading and factually incorrect.”
Regarding voter deletions, the ECI reported that 8,00,391 electors were removed, averaging 2,779 deletions per Assembly seat. These deletions were attributed to death, shifting, or duplicate entries, following due process, including field verification, serving notices, and consultation with political parties.
The ECI reiterated its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process and dismissed the allegations as baseless.