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‘Attempt to create atmosphere of doubt’: CEC Rajiv Kumar on voter turnout data row
On Friday, Supreme Court declined to issue any directions to the ECI on the plea demanding the immediate disclosure of authenticated voter turnout records
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Saturday reacted on the Supreme Court's decision declining to pass any direction on its handling of Form 17C data and booth-wise turnout.
"They have acknowledged the truth. An attempt is made to create an atmosphere of doubt. We will discuss this with everyone one day for sure," Kumar was quoted by ANI as saying.
Expressing his commitment to addressing concerns regarding the integrity of the country's electoral process, the poll panel chief said,"What's the play here, why are doubts created, and why are suspicions raised, we will reveal all of this one day and show everyone how people are misled."
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“How doubts arise in people's minds that maybe the EVMs are not working properly, maybe the voting list is incorrect, or maybe the voting numbers have been manipulated. The Supreme Court has given its answer yesterday, but we will also give our answer, and we will definitely give it,” he added.
On Friday, the vacation bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma had declined to issue any directions to the poll panel on the plea demanding the immediate disclosure of authenticated voter turnout records.
The apex court bench highlighted the potential implications of judicial interference in the electoral process.
The Election Commission had filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court and said that voter turnout data based on Form 17C (records of votes polled in each polling station) will cause confusion among voters as it will also include postal ballot counts.
“This time we made a lot of efforts to make it more inclusive. Everyone came and everyone voted. There is a very good voter turnout across the whole country. See how well the voting is going on in Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. How many people came out enthusiastically to vote,” the CEC said.
He shared his personal experience of voting alongside his 95-year-old father, wife, and daughter, emphasizing the importance of voting for every citizen.
"When I cast my vote for the first time, I went with my father, and today I have brought my father with me who is now 95 years old. He voted with me today, and my wife and daughter are also with me. So, three generations have cast their votes together today. This is a matter of pride for me, and every voter should definitely vote across the country, every youth, every person," the poll panel chief said.
