May 11th 2024.
In a recent letter, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his surprise at the Election Commission's response to his concerns. He had written to the leaders of the INDIA bloc, expressing his worries about the delay in releasing voter turnout figures for the first two phases of the elections. However, the Commission chose to respond to this letter instead of addressing the several other complaints that Kharge had raised directly to them.
In his correspondence to the Commission, Kharge pointed out that the lack of urgency in dealing with "blatantly communal and casteist" statements made by leaders of the ruling party is puzzling. He also highlighted the discrepancy in the Commission's stance, as they claim to respect citizens' right to ask questions while also warning them to exercise caution.
Kharge acknowledged the pressures that the Commission is under and refrained from pressing on the issue of the language used in their response. However, he expressed his disappointment at the lack of action taken against the divisive rhetoric being used by leaders of the ruling party, which goes against the mandate of conducting smooth and fair elections.
The Congress chief also addressed the Commission's statement that they are not legally bound to publish voter turnout data at the aggregate level of a constituency or state. While he acknowledged that this is a fact, he pointed out that many voters would be surprised by this and would like to see the absolute number of votes polled to be made public by the Commission.
The Election Commission, in its response, had accused Kharge of making baseless allegations and attempting to spread confusion. They even went as far as to say that his letter was an "aggression on the vitals of live conduct of elections". Kharge, on the other hand, had simply pointed out the delay in releasing voter turnout data and the lack of crucial figures accompanying it.
Opposition leaders had also met with the EC top brass and raised the issue of voter turnout figures and model code violations by leaders of the ruling party. Kharge, in his letter to the INDIA bloc leaders, had also highlighted the importance of including the votes polled in each parliamentary constituency and respective assembly constituencies in the data released by the Commission.
Overall, Kharge's concerns about the delay in releasing voter turnout data and the lack of action against divisive statements made by leaders of the ruling party are valid and deserve attention. It is important for the Election Commission to maintain transparency and address all complaints in a timely manner to ensure fair and free elections.
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