Maha Elections: EC invites congress to discuss poll data concerns

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday reaffirmed the transparency of its procedures during the Maharashtra Assembly elections and expressed its willingness to review the Congress party's concerns regarding alleged inconsistencies. In a response to the Congress, the EC invited a delegation from the party for an in-person meeting on December 3 to address the issues raised.

The Congress had approached the EC on Friday, highlighting "serious and grave inconsistencies" in the polling and counting data for the recently concluded Maharashtra elections. The party requested a face-to-face hearing to present evidence supporting its claims.

In its reply, the EC emphasized that all election processes were conducted transparently, with the participation of candidates or their agents at every stage. The commission assured that it would review the Congress' concerns and provide a detailed written response after hearing the party's delegation.

The EC also pointed out that the electoral roll updating process was transparent and involved all political parties. Regarding the voter turnout data, the EC clarified that there were no discrepancies. The data was available for verification at each polling station for all candidates. The difference between the 5 pm polling data and the final turnout was attributed to procedural requirements as presiding officers have multiple statutory responsibilities before updating the final voter turnout.

To enhance disclosure, the EC introduced a press note around 11:45 pm during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which has been followed in all subsequent assembly polls, the commission informed the Congress.