Election Commission Acknowledges Congress’ Request for Direct Meeting on Maharashtra Polls, Set for December 3

New Delhi, Nov 30 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday addressed Congress’ grievances and 'urgent memorandum' regarding the Maharashtra Assembly elections and also responded to its request for an in-person meeting with the electoral body.

The commission, dismissing claims of ‘serious inconsistencies and a sudden rise' in voter turnout after 5 PM on election day, clarified that the voter turnout figures were being continuously updated on the Voter Turnout App.

The ECI further expressed its willingness to provide a comprehensive response to the ‘red-flagged’ issues as soon as possible and invited the Congress delegation to present its concerns on December 3 at 5 PM. “After appropriately hearing your points in-person, the Commission will provide its detailed response to the issues raised in your letter as soon as possible,” it stated.

Additionally, it mentioned that the issue concerning the difference between the polling percentage released by the ECI at 5 PM and the final polling percentage, along with the reasons behind it, had been previously communicated to the Congress party. Notably, the historic party submitted a 12-page memorandum to the Election Commission on Friday, highlighting concerns over ‘discrepancies and inconsistencies’ in the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

The memorandum also referenced similar ‘doubts and suspicions’ raised by former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi.

It alleged that there was a systematic attempt to decrease the number of voters (and votes) ‘aligned with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Congress-SS-NCP-SP) alliance’. “It is crucial to note that out of 50 Assembly seats, where there was an average increase of 50,000 voters, the ruling party and its allies won 47 of them...” the Congress party stated.

Another concern highlighted was the increase in voter turnout from 5 PM to 11:30 PM, suggesting this as a potential cause for electoral setbacks for the MVA. “The EC's average voter turnout at 5 PM was 58.22 percent, which surged to 65.02 percent by 11:30 PM, indicating discrepancies in the voter turnout data,” the INC expressed in its complaint.