Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, has written to the Chief Election Commissioner urging the immediate publication of detailed and authenticated data from the April 9 Assembly polls in Kerala, warning that any delay risks undermining public trust in the electoral process.
In a letter circulated to the media on Monday, Satheesan flagged the Election Commission’s failure, three days after polling, to upload comprehensive figures on its website, including constituency wise turnout, vote percentages and postal ballot statistics. He said prompt release of such data is essential for public scrutiny and to maintain confidence in the fairness and transparency of the election.
The opposition leader cautioned that withholding verified granular information could create unnecessary uncertainty around an election already keenly watched by all stakeholders. He pressed the Commission to take corrective steps without further delay, stressing that timely access to accurate data is vital not only for political parties but also for researchers, media and the general public.
According to data already released by the Election Commission, a total of 78.03 per cent of the State’s 2.71 crore electorate cast their votes. This comprises 75.01 per cent of male voters and 80.86 per cent of women, while 57.04 per cent of third gender voters also participated. Elections were held on April 9 to elect 140 members to the Kerala Legislative Assembly, with counting scheduled for May 4.
Kerala, long recognised for its high voter participation and strong democratic norms, has recorded another robust turnout. But the delay in making the full dataset public has now become a focal point of post poll debate, with attention turning to how quickly the Commission responds to the Congress led demand and whether it will put out the complete April 9 figures before the counting day.
(Inputs from IANS)