Two months ago, the Election Commission of India had announced the poll schedule with grand assurances of free and fair elections and strict enforcement of the model code of conduct. The ECI has already failed the model code test with its refusal to take any action on complaints of brazen and repeated violation of the model code by the Prime Minister and other senior leaders of the BJP. But now the ECI's reluctance to come clean with the voter turnout data has cast the biggest shadow on the ongoing electoral battle. The inordinate delay in declaring the final voting figures and these too only being declared in percentage terms, and the scale of increase in the final figures have understandably raised major concerns among the electorate and watchers of elections in India.
The final percentage figures now put out by the ECI indicate an unprecedented surge over the figures declared on the polling-day night or on the following morning. The total increase is estimated to be as high as 1.07 crore. This means an average increase of 28,000 votes in the 379 constituencies that voted in the first four phases. In some states and constituencies, the increase has been more than ten and even twenty percent. Now that the Supreme Court has asked the ECI to explain this delay and publicise the actual voting figures, the ECI is coming up with flimsy arguments exactly as the SBI tried to obstruct the Supreme Court's order to disclose the donor and recipient details of the Electoral Bond scheme.
Former CEC S.Y. Quraishi has also questioned the ECI's attempt to explain the delay by invoking so-called logistical difficulties. The logistical arrangements, Quraishi has pointed out, have improved remarkably over the years and all data are now available in real time at the press of a button. The EVM system was introduced precisely to speed up the election process, but now for publication of voter turnout data, the ECI is invoking the bogey of logistical difficulties. The ECI counsel even tried to question the very legitimacy of the petition filed by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Common Cause demanding transparency and accountability, calling it motivated and blaming it for having demoralising impact on the voter turnout and especially young first-time voters. No argument could be more frivolous and misplaced than this ECI rant against the demand for transparency in the election process and accountability from the ECI.
This election has been witnessing major irregularities at every step of the election process. The EC even does not consider it necessary to take suo moto cognizance of videos showing open booth capture and orders repoll only belatedly after it gets too embarrassing to stay silent. After the Gujarat livestreaming of booth capturing by a BJP leader's son, we had a shocker from Farrukhabad in UP where a 17-year-old son of a BJP leader videographed himself casting eight repeated votes for the BJP candidate. The ECI did not take any action against the BJP's hate-filled videos, and it has now taken the Kolkata High Court to issue an injunction order to restrain the BJP from running derogatory and slanderous advertisements against the TMC in flagrant violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
The Modi regime overturned the Supreme Court verdict on the appointment of Election Commissioners to arrogate to itself the right to appoint an Election Commission of its own choice and the result is now obvious to all. The EC has completely abdicated its constitutionally mandated responsibilities regarding the conduct of elections. The 2024 elections are turning out to be a mockery of free and fair elections and the people of India are faced with the challenge of winning this unequal battle to save the Constitution and restore some semblance of democracy. There are two more phases to go and let us hope we the people of India are able to prove ourselves equal to this challenge.
