EC issues detailed fact-check, rejects claims of vote discrepancies in multiple constituencies

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday released a series of constituency-specific fact-checks to counter social media claims, alleging large-scale mismatches between votes polled and votes counted in the 2024 Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections. 

The Commission has labelled these claims as 'misleading' and has placed official figures from its Index Cards and Statistical Reports in the public domain to clarify the actual position.

The claims, which circulated widely online, primarily focused on seats in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

In several cases, the social media posts either treated the total number of registered electors as the number of votes polled or misinterpreted other official numbers, creating an artificial gap that does not exist in the records.

One of the most widely shared claims about Mumbai North Parliamentary constituency (Maharashtra) said that 18.11 lakh votes were polled but only 10.33 lakh were counted, implying that 7.78 lakh votes remained uncounted.

Official records show that the constituency had 18,12,115 total electors. Of these, 10,36,496 electors actually voted (10,33,268 on EVMs and 3,228 postal votes). After accounting for 765 test votes and votes not counted from Control Units (CUs) as per ECI guidelines, 10,35,731 votes were counted. Voter turnout stood at 57.20 per cent.

The gap of around 7.75 lakh represents registered electors who did not turn up to vote, not uncounted votes.

Claims suggested that 6,66,046 votes were polled in Srinagar Parliamentary constituency (Jammu and Kashmir) but 6,72,942 were counted, creating an excess of 6,896 votes.

Official data records 17,48,803 total electors and 6,76,408 votes polled (6,72,942 EVM + 3,466 postal). After deducting 1,009 test votes and votes not counted from CUs, the total votes counted stood at 6,75,399 while the voter turnout was 38.68 per cent.

The Commission confirmed that no extra votes were counted.

Social media posts claimed that 3.84 lakh votes were polled in Beed Assembly constituency (Maharashtra) but only 2.39 lakh were counted, leaving 1.45 lakh (37.8 per cent) uncounted.

Records show 3,84,885 total electors and 2,42,983 votes polled (2,38,845 EVM + 4,138 postal). The same number—2,42,983—was counted. Turnout was 63.13 per cent.

The difference of about 1.42 lakh is the number of electors who did not vote.

Similar claims said that 3.01 lakh votes were polled in Dahanu Assembly constituency (Maharashtra) but only 2.21 lakh were counted. Official figures list 3,01,257 electors and 2,21,818 votes polled and counted. Turnout was 73.63 per cent. The gap of around 79,000 represents non-voters.

Claims also alleged that 2.21 lakh votes were polled in Tosham Assembly constituency (Haryana) but only 1.60 lakh were counted.

Records show 2,23,609 electors, 1,61,872 votes polled and 1,61,020 votes counted after minor adjustments for test votes. Turnout was 72.39 per cent.

The difference is again the number of electors who stayed away.

One claim asserted that only 215 citizens voted in Kaithal Assembly constituency (Haryana) yet the ECI counted 1,67,285 votes.

The Commission clarified that 215 is the number of polling stations in the constituency, not the number of voters.

Actual figures show 2,23,449 electors and 1,68,851 votes polled and counted, with a voter turnout of 75.57 per cent.

In Chenani, Kokernag and Pulwama Assembly constituencies (Jammu and Kashmir), claims of the ECI having counted extra votes (ranging from 1,500 to 1,800) were also rejected.

Official data for Chenani shows 85,189 votes polled and counted; for Kokernag, 57,542 votes polled and counted; and for Pulwama, 51,011 votes polled with 50,529 counted after standard deductions.

In each case, the Commission said that no extra votes were counted.

Across all these constituencies, the ECI has underlined a consistent pattern: the figures being projected as "votes polled but not counted" are either the total number of registered electors or other administrative numbers (such as the count of polling stations).

The actual votes polled and votes counted, as recorded in Form 17C and reflected in the Index Cards, match closely after accounting for postal ballots, test votes and votes not retrieved from Control Units as per prescribed guidelines.

The Commission has reiterated that Form 17C remains the sole statutory record of votes cast at each polling station.

Part-I of the form is shared with polling agents at the close of poll, and the figures are matched with Part-II on counting day in the presence of candidates' agents.

All relevant data continues to be available on the ECI website under Statistical Reports and Index Cards.

The ECI has maintained that the official records leave no scope for the kind of large-scale discrepancies being alleged.

--IANS

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