Ex-Election Commission chief flags variation in Maharashtra final turnout data
Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi has raised alarm over discrepancies in voter turnout data from the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections. The provisional figures, recorded at 5:00pm on November 20, indicated a turnout of 55%. However, the final figure released the next day jumped to 67%, the highest turnout in nearly three decades. In an interview with India Today, Quraishi called this variation "worrying."
Quraishi questions overnight change in voter turnout data
Quraishi, who was CEC from 2010-2012, clarified that the voter turnout figures are recorded in real-time in form 17A and summarized in form 17C at every polling station. He was baffled how such data could change overnight. "This is real-time data generated on the same day. Then how can the data change the next day I fail to understand," he told India Today.
Quraishi urges Election Commission to address concerns
Quraishi stressed that the Election Commission must deal with these apprehensions to keep the faith of the people intact. "The way the doubts are spreading across the country, if it gets into everybody's head, then the entire system will not be trusted," he warned. According to the Wire, the highest discrepancies were found in the Loha constituency, where 154 more votes were counted, while Nipad had 2,587 fewer votes. Overall, the sum of the total votes counted was 33,912 less.
Supreme Court declines petition for timely release of data
Notably, this isn't an isolated case, as similar issues were raised during the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where discrepancies of 5-6% between initial and final figures were noted by opposition parties. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) had approached the Supreme Court, seeking the release of polling station-wise voter turnout data within 48 hours of every phase of polling. However, the request was denied due to practical challenges cited by the court and logistical difficulties highlighted by the ECI.
