Raut claims ECI inflated voting percentage data to help BJP

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday alleged that the Election Commision of India (ECI) delayed releasing the final voter turnout data for the two phases of Lok Sabha elections as it is working under “invisible power”. He raised suspicion over increase in the final figure of voting percentage several days after the voting day.

Mr. Raut said that voter turnout percentage is generally released on the polling day. But the poll body released final data after 11 days of the first phase and three days after the second phase of polling. Nanded Lok Sabha recorded a turnout of 52 per cent as per provisional data, which increased to 62 per cent, he alleged. However, the ECI has rejected his claims.

“Hourly and daily voting percentages in all the Lok Sabha constituencies that have voted so far is provided on the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer and ECI websites. However, after 11 days from the Phase I (April 19) and a week after the Phase 2 (April 26) polling, the ECI has released the voting percentages which are much higher than the live data given on the polling dates. Where did the extra votes come from?” the Shiv Sena UBT leader asked.

Mr. Raut, alleged that the voting per cent in Nanded Lok Sabha and several constituencies across the country increased significantly after a few days, which is shocking. “This is the digital era in a digital India of Narendra Modi. So far the people used to get the voter turnout by evening on the same day. Does it take them 11 days to give the voting percentages,” he asked.

Alleging that the ECI is working for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mr. Raut said, “Some invisible powers have been using the ECI. After it came to light that low turnout has caused trouble to the BJP, the ECI released the data after 11 days,” he said.  

However an official from the state election commission office dismissed the claims as baseless and factually incorrect. “Around 5.45 PM on April 26, we released the data of voter turnout till 5 pm which stated that there was 52.47 per cent in Nanded Lok Sabha. On the same day around 11.42 pm at night, we updated the voter turnout till the end of polling, which was 59.57 per cent,” said the official.

As per the latest data given by the ECI, Nanded Lok Sabha recorded a turnout of 60.94 per cent, which is the increase of 1.37 per cent.

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