The former chief election commissioner stresses that transparency is crucial for democracy.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi has emphasised the need for the Election Commission to address the alleged discrepancies in the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, as highlighted in two reports recently.
Appearing on a national TV channel, Quraishi stated that if questions are being raised about discrepancies in the data, the Election Commission should clarify the matter. He noted that the EC has all the data from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and postal ballots, and while there may be some discrepancies in the final figures due to postal ballots, the onus is on the commission to put any controversy at rest. Quraishi further stressed that transparency is crucial for democracy.
A recent report by the non-governmental organisation Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) indicates that the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections showed a discrepancy of 5,89,691 votes across 538 parliamentary constituencies. Specifically, 5,54,598 votes were under-counted in 362 constituencies, and 35,093 votes were over-counted in 176 constituencies.
Another report by the NGO Vote for Democracy claims there is a gap of about 5 crore votes between the initial vote count and the final vote count, potentially helping the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP win 76 seats. The report suggests that without this discrepancy, the NDA and BJP could have lost the same number of seats. It also highlights that the votes cast in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh increased by 12%, with the BJP performing better than expected in Odisha and the TDP in the NDA winning the elections in Andhra Pradesh. Both reports have requested the Election Commission’s intervention to resolve issues related to EVMs, as cited by opposition parties.
For the past five years, opposition parties have been expressing concerns over EVMs, advocating for a return to ballot paper voting. They have also demanded 100 percent matching of VVPAT slips with EVM votes for cross-verification, a request the Election Commission rejected. The Supreme Court later allowed the matching of 10 percent of VVPAT slips to ensure fair elections.
Quraishi reiterated his support for EVMs. “I have always been a supporter of EVMs and have personally faced criticism for this stand. Data stored in EVMs cannot be changed, even if you count the result multiple times. Opposition parties have voiced doubts about EVMs since 2019. It is the job of the Election Commission to clear any doubts,” he said.
Quraishi added, “The 2024 general elections are over, and nothing can be done about it now, but some kind of review should be conducted, and reforms implemented if possible. I have seen many common people expressing concerns that such doubts are not good. The Election Commission should take more time and publish the final figures.”
The former Chief Election Commissioner also mentioned that some election process issues raised by opposition parties have reached the Supreme Court, but no final explanation has been given yet. As the debate continues, the call for transparency and clarity from the Election Commission remains strong.
