Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sounded a note of concern today regarding what she described as a discrepancy in the voting figures released by the Election Commission on Tuesday evening — a revelation that emerged four days after the Phase 2 polls. She expressed worry that in regions where the BJP is anticipated to receive fewer votes than her Trinamool Congress, there has been a sudden surge in the turnout data.
"Last night around 9:30 pm, I suddenly learned that there was a reported 5.75 per cent increase in votes in areas where the BJP received fewer votes. How did this figure change so abruptly? It's quite puzzling, especially considering that around 19 lakh voting machines have been missing for a considerable period," Ms. Banerjee voiced.
"We'll be urging the Election Commission to dispel any doubts the people might have. It's crucial for the Commission to remain impartial rather than being perceived as biased towards any particular party. The citizens of India expect nothing less than an independent Election Commission," she added.
The Election Commission, which typically releases the final polling figures late in the evening of the polling day or the following morning, issued a revised set of figures yesterday evening. According to the updated data, the final voter turnout for Phase One in Bengal stood at 81.91 per cent, while for Phase Two, it was recorded at 76.58 per cent.
These figures mark a notable increase from the initial turnout reported on the day of polling — 77.6 per cent for Phase One on April 19 and 71.8 per cent for Phase two on April 26.
In the extensive electoral schedule of Bengal, which spans all seven phases, North Bengal's Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri went to polls in Phase 1, while Balurghat, Raiganj, and Darjeeling voted in Phase 2. Most of these constituencies are currently held by the BJP, which aims to bolster its representation in the state from 18 to 25 of the 42 constituencies.
The controversy surrounding the revised figures from the Commission comes on the heels of a recent decision by the Supreme Court, which reaffirmed its trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and rejected calls for a return to paper ballots.
The court underscored the advantages of EVMs, highlighting their role in curbing malpractices like booth capturing by restricting the rate of vote casting and eliminating invalid votes, issues that had frequently marred the integrity of the electoral process with paper ballots.