Maharashtra CEO dismisses report on vote-count discrepancies as misleading

Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer has rejected a report alleging discrepancies between votes cast and counted in 51 constituencies across Maharashtra, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir during the 2024 elections, citing official index cards and polling records to describe the claims as misleading

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Wednesday dismissed claims by ‘Reporters’ collective’ that the votes cast in 51 seats of Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir in the 2024 elections do not match the votes counted, terming them as “misleading”.

Rejecting the claims in a post on X, the Maharashtra CEO noted that the actual figures of votes polled on poll day are shared with polling agents of candidates in Form 17, and these figures are tallied with figures on EVMs at the time of counting of votes.

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No complaints regarding difference in figures of voting received from anyone in this regard, the CEO clarified while adding that the ‘Reporters’ collective’ could have contacted the poll body for any clarification.

This comes after the ‘Reporters’ collective’ claimed that the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) internal records of 2024 elections show that in 51 seats of Maharashtra, Haryana and J&K, votes cast do not match the votes counted.

Citing records, the Maharashtra CEO said that according to the index cards published and available on the ECI website for Beed Assembly Constituency, the region comprised a total of 3,84,885 electors.

Out of this, 2,38,845 votes were polled at the EVMs, while 2,42,084 were the total votes polled, including postal votes.

“The figure claimed in the report that 1,45,256 fewer votes were counted, which is again blatantly false, factually incorrect and misleading. This is actually the difference between the total number of electors and votes polled. The correct figures are stated by ECI in its index cards,” the post on X read.

Similarly, at Dahanu Assembly Constituency, the total electors were 3,01, 257. Out of it, 2,20,919 votes were polled using the EVMs while 2,21,818 were the total votes polled, including postal votes.

“The report again attempts to mislead by stating that ECI counted 80,320 less than the votes cast which is actually the difference between the total number of electors and the total number of votes counted,” the CEO said.

Further, according to the index cards published and available on the ECI website for Mumbai North Parliamentary Constituency, out of the total 18,12,115 electors, 10,33,267 votes were polled at the EVMs while 10,36,496 were the total votes polled, including postal votes.

The polling body reiterated that the reports by ‘Reporters’ Collective’ again are “attempts to mislead” by stating that total number of votes polled were 18.11 lakh, “which is actually the total number of electors”.

Meanwhile, in a significant move under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the ECI has provided a fresh opportunity to voters from Maharashtra whose names could not be included in the draft electoral rolls due to categorisation under the ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate) criteria, despite the issuance of enumeration forms during house-to-house visits.