Mumbai, Jul 22 (PTI) An NGO on Monday alleged large-scale manipulation and misconduct during the Lok Sabha polls and counting of votes though it clarified the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI) was not under doubt.
Vote for Democracy (VFD) Maharashtra, in a report released at YB Chavan Centre in south Mumbai, claimed significant discrepancies between votes polled and counted, as well as “substantial unexplained hike” in the turnout percentages, and said the EC failed to address this issue.
The cumulative hike in votes from initial turnout figures to final figures is precisely 4,65,46,885, which is a 3.2 per cent to 6.32 per cent increase across the seven phases of the election completed between April 19 and June 1, a VFD release said.
This hike in voter turnout allegedly benefited the BJP-led NDA with 79 seats, including 18 in Odisha, 11 in Maharashtra and 10 in West Bengal, potentially won due to the increased turnout, claimed the report titled “Conduct of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 — Analysis of ‘vote manipulation’ and ‘misconduct during voting and counting’.
“While we do not doubt the credibility of the ECI, its conduct during this Lok Sabha election has made us, as citizens and voters, seriously concerned about the fair outcome of the electoral process,” said VFD Maharashtra with which social activist Teesta Setalvad is associated.
The NGO served a notice to the ECI on July 19 for discrepancies and several other violations, seeking an explanation and action on the alleged irregularities, including vote manipulation, misconduct, and violations of the Model Code of Conduct, as per the release.
The report called for “an independent investigation under autonomous supervision” into the allegations and demanded that the ECI take immediate action to address them.
Specifically, the report pointed to alleged discrepancies in voter turnout in several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra.
It also highlighted instances of alleged misconduct by Returning Officers in constituencies such as Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai North West, where the winning candidate scraped through with just 48 votes. PTI KK RSY
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