Political Parties Criticize Election Commission Over Delayed Voter Turnout Figures
The Congress, CPI(M), and TMC have criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the delay in publishing the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections. The parties have raised concerns about the transparency of the election process and the possibility of manipulation.
The ECI finally released the voter turnout figures for the first and second phases of polling on April 19 and 26, several days after the voting had taken place. This delay has raised concerns among the opposition parties, who believe that the ECI is trying to hide something.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the delay in releasing the final voter turnout figures is "very disturbing" and raises "serious apprehensions on manipulation of results." He also pointed out that the ECI has not disclosed the total number of voters registered in each parliamentary constituency, making the percentages announced "meaningless and misleading."
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien also expressed concerns about the delay, saying that it is "not normal" for the ECI to take so long to release the final voter turnout figures. He also questioned why the ECI has not held a press conference after each phase of polling.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that it is essential for the ECI to be "timely and transparent" about all election-related data. He also questioned why the ECI has not released the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases of polling, even though it has been more than 11 days since the first phase and 4 days since the second phase.
The opposition parties' concerns about the transparency of the election process are valid. The ECI has a responsibility to ensure that the elections are conducted in a fair and transparent manner. The delay in releasing the final voter turnout figures and the lack of transparency about the total number of voters registered in each parliamentary constituency raise serious questions about the ECI's commitment to transparency.
The ECI needs to address the concerns raised by the opposition parties and take steps to ensure that the elections are conducted in a fair and transparent manner. The credibility of the ECI is at stake, and it needs to take all necessary steps to restore public confidence in the electoral process.