The Election Commission of India (ECI) should release the video footage of polling stations where the voting purportedly increasedleading to a sudden and major increase in 76 lakh votes, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole has demanded.
He said the Congress party has raised the issue of difference in voting percentage not because of its defeat, but to protect democracy and the Constitution. “The BJP and the Election Commission have made a mockery of democracy,” Patole alleged, adding that his party would fight to know the truth about the difference of votes in the assembly elections in the courts and on the street.
Patole said that the difference in the vote share of Congress in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections is serious and worrisome. According to the data released by the ECI, the voter turnout was 58.22 per cent at 5 pm on polling day, 65.02 per cent at 11.30 pm the same night, while it was shown as 66.05 per cent the next day, showing an overall increase of 7.83 per cent. “This is an increase of 76 lakh votes. How did the voting percentage increase,” Patole asked.
Accusing the Election Commission of having “robbed the people of their votes”, Patole said that ought to be evidence of long queues at polling stations due to the increase in the percentage of votes after 5 pm on the day of voting. “The Election Commission must show with proof how many constituencies in the state had such long queues. The Election Commission had installed CCTV cameras at the polling stations,” he said.
He said experts from various fields across the country have raised doubts about the increased number of votes. “This raises question marks about the credibility of the Election Commission. Therefore, it is the duty of the Election Commission to answer questions raised by political parties, candidates or others,” he said.