Explain discrepancy in votes polled and counted in LS polls: ADR to ECI in letter

Poll rights body ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms) has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding to know the reasons behind an apparent discrepancy in the number of votes polled and the number of votes counted in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

ADR has claimed that there was a discrepancy in the number of votes polled and the number of votes counted in 538 constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections, where the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha is 543.

According to an analysis by the ADR released at a press conference on Monday, the total of 5,54,598 votes counted is less than the votes polled in 362 parliamentary constituencies, while a total of 35,093 votes have been counted in excess of votes polled in 176 constituencies.

The ADR on Thursday wrote to chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, expressing serious concerns over the alleged discrepancies in electronic voting machine (EVM) votes during the 2024 elections.

The letter traces the issue back to 2019, when ADR and Common Cause filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India seeking a directive to the ECI to stop announcing results based on provisional data before a thorough reconciliation. The petition cited the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where results were announced based on estimated data.

Despite the Supreme Court issuing notices to the ECI and the Union of India in December 2019, no substantial action was taken, ADR said.

The letter calls for immediate action from the ECI to address these discrepancies and ensure public trust in the electoral process. "Each and every vote is important and must be accounted for," the letter said, urging the ECI to explain the reasons behind the inconsistencies.

ADR has also requested the ECI to inform it of any steps or actions taken in light of the findings. It has emphasised the necessity for the ECI, as a Constitutional body, to uphold the integrity of free and fair elections in India.