'Attempt Being Made To Create An Atmosphere Of Doubt': CEC Rajiv Kumar On Row Over Real-Time Voter Turnout Data

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Saturday reacted to cases against the Election Commission for uploading voter turnout data for every polling station on its website, stating that attempts are being made to create an atmosphere of doubt regarding the electoral process.

“An attempt is being made to create an atmosphere of doubt, one day we will tell everyone about it and will reveal how people are misled. Due to this, our voting is also affected because doubts arise in the minds of people about whether EVMs are correct or not, voting list is fine or not,” Kumar told news agency ANI after casting his vote at a polling booth in Delhi.

“Yesterday the Supreme Court answered all these but we will also answer one day,” he added.

On Friday, the Supreme Court refused an NGO’s plea to direct the EC to upload polling station-wise voter turnout data on its website during the Lok Sabha polls, citing the logistical challenges of mobilising sufficient manpower.

A vacation bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma stated that it could not issue such directions at this late stage, as five phases of polling had already concluded, with two remaining. The bench emphasised the difficulty the EC would face in uploading the voter turnout data on its website in real-time.

The EC opposed the plea, explaining that there is no legal requirement to upload Form 17C, which contains detailed voter turnout information, on its website.

The poll body said information is only mandated to be provided to the candidates and their agents.

Last week, the Supreme Court had asked the EC to respond to a petition by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which sought the uploading of scanned copies of Form 17C on the EC website after the polls are conducted.

The EC criticised the petitioner, stating that there are “certain elements with vested interests” attempting to discredit the Election Commission of India by making baseless and false allegations. “It is most humbly submitted that there is a consistent malafide campaign/design/efforts to keep on raising suspicion and doubt in every possible manner and by misleading assertions and baseless,” the EC said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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