Mumbai: A recent report questioning the fairness of Lok Sabha 2024 elections highlighted that the cumulative hike of 4.65 crore votes from initial turnout figures to final turnout figures translated into 79 seats for the BJP-led NDA across 15 states of the country. The report by Vote For Democracy alleged that the manipulation led to 11 constituencies in Maharashtra having been won by the NDA through the hike of votes.
Vote For Democracy, a civil society organisation of activists from different organisations, released a report on ‘Conduct of Lok Sabha Elections 2024’, analysing vote manipulation and misconduct during voting and counting in the recent parliamentary elections. The report raised serious concerns about the discrepancies between the total votes polled and total votes counted in the election, along with the hike in the turnout percentages by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The numerical analysis of the election results and voter turnout percentage conducted by Vote For Democracy claimed a cumulative hike in votes from initial turnout figures to final turnout figures of 4,65,46,885 votes in the seven phases, increased at a rate of 3.2% to 6.32% across constituencies. It highlighted that the difference in vote percentage is a staggering 12.54% in Andhra Pradesh and 12.48% in Odisha. The report claimed that the subsequent hike in voter turnout has disproportionately benefited the ruling regime.
The report alleged that the unprecedented vote percentage increase translated into 79 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance across the country. This included 18 seats in Odisha, 11 in Maharashtra, 10 in West Bengal, 7 in Andhra Pradesh, 6 in Karnataka, 5 each in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, 3 each in Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, 2 in Assam and 1 each in Arunachal Pradesh Gujarat and Kerala.
Sebastian Morris, retired professor at IIM Ahmedabad and a member of Independent Panel For Monitoring India’s Elections, said, “In these 79 constituencies, the winning margin is very low in comparison to the increase in votes. The pattern in these seats say that the difference is too large, the change comes after a long time and it is seen in the constituencies which saw tough fights. I think there is a very strong bias which is revealed here.”
With the release of the report, around 25 civil society organisations issued a notice to the ECI demanding inquiry into the alleged irregularities, vote manipulation, spurious injection of votes and violations of the Model Code of Conduct. The notice sought explanation on the appointment of the election commissioner in partiality, registration and counting manipulation, illogical and chaotic scheduling of election, complaints of not providing Form 17C to the voting agents and delay in releasing voter turnout.
Teesta Setalvad from Vote For Democracy said, “Maharashtra has the second highest numbers of seats which saw huge hikes in initial and final voter turnout. The conduct of the election commission was very suspicious on the day of polling as well as counting. We are assuming that this hike is done purposely as the law concerned about the appointment of the election commissioner was amended very partially.”
