CEC Rajiv Kumar slams those questioning voter turnout data during Lok Sabha elections: ‘Fake narrative…’

Many opposition parties, particularly Congress, have raised questions over the delay in releasing the final voter turnout. A day before the Lok Sabha election results, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday, June 3, claimed that the counting mechanism is robust and the process is codified so that no error can be found in it. Rajiv Kumar also hit out at those questioning the delay in releasing the final voter turnout during the seven-phase general elections. “…We failed to understand the fake narratives of the faulty voter lists and turnout data that were going on during the elections. But we have understood it now,” Rajiv Kumar, without naming anyone, said at a press conference in New Delhi. The Congress has raised questions over the big difference between the real-time voter turnout data and the final figures released by the Election Commission and said voters are worried about the “strange goings-on” in the poll body. Other opposition parties have also questioned the delay in releasing the final voter turnout. Rajiv Kumar also said the counting process for the postal ballots will start before the counting of electronic voting machines (EVMs). “Section 54 A of RPA Act was introduced in 1954. At that time, there were not much people for postal ballots. On all centres, counting of postal ballots will start first. After only half an hour, EVM counting will start first. It happened in 2019, it happened in all 2022 Assembly elections, it happened yesterday also in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim,” CEC said. Rajiv Kumar also dared the Opposition to share evidence of allegations that returning officers and district magistrates were influenced to vitiate the poll process so the panel could take action against them. “The entire counting process is absolutely robust. We don’t think anywhere there is a robust system like it. Every part is decided. The whole process is codified. Micro observers are in place. There cannot be any mistake in this process. Lakhs of people including counting officials, counting agents, micro-observers, ROs/AROs, Observers present during the world’s largest counting exercise. Before the elections, EVMs were randomised. All candidates and agents were present to observe that who were present at the booth,” CEC Rajiv Kumar said.