Discrepancy of nearly 6 lakh votes in Lok Sabha polls, Uncounted votes discovered: Report
The Election Commission has remained rather passive and has not responded to the concerns raised by the Association of Democratic Reforms.
The 2024 Lok Sabha election has been marred by significant discrepancies in vote tallies, as highlighted by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR). According to the ADR, a discrepancy of approximately six lakh votes has been identified between those recorded by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the actual tally. More concerning is the revelation of 5,50,000 uncounted votes across 362 constituencies, which were not recorded by any of the EVMs. Additionally, in 176 seats, around 35,000 votes were found to be surplus compared to what was recorded by the machines.
Analyzing the Impact of Uncounted Votes
The issue of uncounted votes has sparked significant concern among election observers and the public. ADR founder Jagdeep Chhokar raised these issues in an interview with NDTV, stating, “The Election Commission’s own figures show there is a difference between the number of votes cast and those counted in 538 Lok Sabha constituencies.” Chhokar further emphasized the need for transparency from the Election Commission regarding the discrepancies. He pointed out that similar issues were observed in the 2019 election and a petition was filed with the Supreme Court, which remains unresolved.
The Election Commission has been criticized for its passive response to these concerns. While it has provided candidates with options to verify vote tallies, including selecting machines for rechecking and conducting mock polls with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips, it has not addressed the broader issues publicly. Last week, the Election Commission reported eight applications for vote rechecks. Data from the ADR reveals that in cases where recorded votes exceeded actual counts, variations ranged from one to 3,811 votes per district. Conversely, discrepancies where fewer votes were counted than recorded varied from one to 16,791 votes per station at the constituency level.
Constituencies Affected by Uncounted Votes
Despite these discrepancies, the general election results are unlikely to change significantly. The constituencies with uncounted votes that could potentially alter results were relatively few. For instance, in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh again, the gap between the winning margin and the uncounted votes was less than 1,300. However, the margins of victory in these cases were broader than the discrepancies, suggesting that while the uncounted votes are notable, they may not be substantial enough to alter the overall outcome.
Interestingly, the ADR noted that in some constituencies, the votes polled matched those counted. These include Amreli in Gujarat, where BJP’s Bharatbhai Manubhai Sutariya emerged victorious, and Attingal in Kerala, which remained with Congress’s Adoor Prakash. Similarly, the union territories of Lakshadweep, Daman, and Diu also reported matched figures.
One particularly troubling case involves Surat in Gujarat, where the result was declared without conducting an election. This anomaly adds to the growing list of issues surrounding vote discrepancies. The release of these findings comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a petition by the ADR seeking the release of comprehensive voter turnout numbers, including those of uncounted votes.
Legal and Political Reactions to Uncounted Votes
The ADR’s petition seeks to address these issues by requesting scanned copies of Form 17C, which contains the votes cast at each polling station. This form serves as legal evidence and is crucial for challenging election results. The Supreme Court had previously denied a request to post voter turnout statistics on the Election Commission’s website after each phase, citing potential overload on the poll panel. This decision, made in May, was aimed at addressing the issue after the election and vacation periods.
In April, the Supreme Court had warned the ADR against indiscriminately doubting the EVM system, cautioning that such skepticism could undermine trust in the electoral process. Despite these warnings, the ADR continues to highlight inconsistencies and demand transparency.
In the narrow victory of the BJP in the April-June election, the party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi fell short of an outright majority. With 240 seats secured, the BJP required support from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners to form a government. The Congress, with a significantly improved result, won 232 seats, including 99 by itself, showing a stronger opposition presence compared to previous elections.
The discrepancies related to uncounted votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha election underscore the need for greater transparency and accountability in the electoral process. As the Supreme Court prepares to review these issues, the focus remains on addressing the concerns raised by the ADR and ensuring the integrity of future elections.
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