EC says any alteration in the number of votes polled is impossible :: Poll panel releases absolute turnout for 5 phases of voting

 Poll panel releases absolute turnout for 5 phases: 'Impossible to alter data'
This new format will include the absolute number of voters in each parliamentary constituency. The poll panel assured the public that any alteration in the number of votes polled is impossible.

The Election Commission said it has decided to expand the format of its voter turnout data release.

The poll panel said that it feels “duly strengthened” by the Supreme Court verdict refusing to consider a plea to direct the Election Commission to publish final data on voter turnout in all polling stations on its website.  

This comes after the Opposition questioned the delay in final voter turnout release after first and second phase of polling and alleged discrepancies in the voting data released by the poll body. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the "credibility" of the Election Commission was at an "all-time low".

The Commission, in response, reiterated that the entire process of collection and storage of votes is rigorous, transparent and participative.

“The Commission and its officials across the states have been disseminating voter turnout data in the best possible manner, taking into account statutory considerations,” the Commission said in a statement.

The Commission detailed the meticulous process involved in recording and releasing voter turnout data:

Final Elector List: Provided to candidates after finalisation.

Form 17C: Authorised agents receive this form for each polling station, ensuring transparency.

Inviolable Records: The votes recorded in Form 17C cannot be altered.

Secure Transport: Agents accompany the EVMs and statutory papers, including Form 17C, to secure storage.

Verification: Candidates or their agents verify Form 17C data at counting centers.

The ECI highlighted the continuous availability of voter turnout data through its Voter Turnout App.

“Voter turnout data was always available 24X7 on the Voter Turnout App from 9:30am on poll day of each phase,” the poll panel said.

It said the app publishes estimated turnout data every two hours on poll days and updates continuously after polling ends. By midnight, it provides the best estimated "Close of Poll" data.

The Election Commission said different media organisations report turnout data at various times, which might lead to perceptions of delay.

The ECI has introduced several recent enhancements, including upgrading the Voter Turnout App to include aggregate phase-wise turnout figures, enabling a screenshot feature in the Android version of the app, releasing constituency-wise elector data, and releasing voter turnout data at around 23:45 hours on poll day.

India's Richest Woman Savitri Jindal Votes, Says PM Modi Will Get 3rd Term

BJP leader and richest Indian woman with $33 billion net worth, Savitri Jindal, whose youngest son Naveen Jindal is also in the fray, on Saturday, cast her vote in her hometown Hisar in Haryana.

Besides former state minister Savitri Jindal (74), who is the chairperson of the Jindal Group, founded by her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal, in 1979, Chief Minister Nayab Saini and his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar were among the early voters to cast their votes at their respective polling stations.

After casting the vote, Savitri told the media that the country has developed at a fast pace under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Seemingly confident about the BJP's prospects in the general elections, she added, "Prime Minister Modi will be elected for a third consecutive term."

Savitri's youngest son Naveen Jindal (54) is the BJP's candidate from Kurukshetra, the seat he represented between 2004 and 2014.

Savitri and her son switched from the Congress to the BJP in March, ending their nearly two-decade association with the Congress.

Mr Jindal is taking on AAP candidate and former Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta. The AAP is contesting the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana in an alliance with Congress and has been given Kurukshetra. The Congress is contesting on the remaining nine seats in alliance with AAP.

Savitri joined politics following the death of her husband won the 2005 Hisar.

assembly bypoll and joined the Haryana government.

Later, she won the Assembly polls from Hisar in 2009 and became a minister in 2013.