Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai. The results of the recent Lok Sabha elections, which saw the BJP-led NDA secure victory and Prime Minister Narendra Modi earn a third term, have been called into question once again. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO working for the transparency in governance system, has raised concerns over significant discrepancies in vote counts. According to ADR, a discrepancy of approximately six lakh votes has been identified between the total votes cast and the number of votes recorded in the official count for 538 constituencies. ADR's analysis highlights an anomaly of about 5.5 lakh votes across 362 constituencies, where votes recorded by electronic voting machines (EVMs) were not counted. Additionally, ADR claims that around 35,000 extra votes were counted in 176 constituencies.

Call for Transparency from the Election Commission

ADR founder Jagdeep Chhokar has urged the Election Commission to clarify the reasons behind the vote discrepancies. Chhokar stated that the Election Commission’s figures show a significant mismatch between the votes cast and the counted votes. He emphasized the need for a public explanation from the Election Commission, citing similar issues during the 2019 elections, for which a Supreme Court petition remains unresolved.

The Election Commission has offered disgruntled candidates the option to request a recount or re-examine the counting process, including the retrieval of machines from specific polling stations and checking Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. Last week, the Election Commission reported receiving eight such applications.

Details of Vote Discrepancies

ADR's data reveals that discrepancies in individual constituencies ranged from one to 3,811 votes. In cases where the number of counted votes was lower than the total cast, discrepancies ranged from one to 16,791 votes per constituency. Notably, in five constituencies where the discrepancy was under 1,300 votes, the outcomes were close. These seats included three won by BJP (in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan), one by Congress (in Punjab), and one by the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear ADR's petition on the matter, which demands the release of all voter numbers, including those of rejected votes.

Election Commission's Response

In response to the concerns, the Election Commission has reiterated its commitment to transparency and has provided options for candidates to verify the counting process. The Commission's recent actions reflect ongoing efforts to address discrepancies and ensure electoral integrity.