Lok Sabha Elections 2024: I.N.D.I.A. leaders to meet EC over voter data delay, 'communal' politics on May 10

New Delhi: After raising tough questions on how the Lok Sabha polls are being conducted, I.N.D.I.A. leaders will meet the Election Commission on Friday evening to demand the publication of the actual number of those who cast votes at the earliest. They also want to complain against the “communal” campaign run by the ruling NDA bloc.

This is the second meeting of I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders after a similar meeting in March over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and demanding that the EC should step in to control the central agencies taking actions against Opposition leaders at the behest of BJP during the crucial weeks leading up the the polls in different phases across the country. The EC, however, had declined to intervene.

Initially, the meeting was scheduled for Thursday evening but late night, Opposition sources said it has been rescheduled to Friday.

The meeting also comes days after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Opposition bloc leaders about the EC. In his letter, he wondered whether the EC’s refusal to publish actual voting data and the delay in releasing poll turnout data and non-publication of final voters’ list for next phases are an “attempt to doctor” the Lok Sabha results.

Trinamool Congress has written to the EC seeking immediate release of actual number of voters and other details.

At the meeting, sources said, the leaders will demand timely release of the actual number of people voted and the total number of voters. It would also seek information whether the publication of voters’ list for the upcoming phases are being delayed.

The EC had released the voter turnout for first phase 11 days after polling and that of second phase after four days. Both times, the ED did not provide the actual numbers. The Voter Turnout App, which earlier used to give aggregate turnout, did not provide it during the first phase but started providing it during phase 3.

On Tuesday after the phase 3 polls, it provided data on the actual number of voters in the constituencies that went to polls till now. However, the EC is yet to provide the actual number of those who cast their votes in the first three phases yet, though in 2019, it had provided these figures.

Other issues like alleged inaction on complaints of “communal and divisive” campaign by the BJP and other NDA allies, delay in taking action against problematic videos posted by the ruling side and other issues will also be taken up, sources said.