The opposition leaders intend to raise concerns regarding the alleged use of religious symbols by the BJP in its election campaign…reports Asian Lite News
Leaders from the opposition INDIA bloc are gearing up to convene with the Election Commission, slated for Friday, to press for the prompt release of absolute voter turnout figures in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls after each phase, as per sources familiar with the matter.
Initially scheduled for Thursday, the meeting was rescheduled for Friday, news agency PTI reported.
Sources indicate that alongside the demand for timely voter turnout data, the opposition leaders intend to raise concerns regarding the alleged use of religious symbols by the BJP in its election campaign.
Parties constituting the INDIA bloc, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), have individually communicated their apprehensions to the poll panel. They’ve expressed dismay over what they perceive as a delay in the release of voter turnout data for the initial two phases.
Responding to these allegations, the Election Commission has affirmed that booth-wise data of the actual votes cast is promptly made available to candidates after polling concludes. Emphasizing its commitment to transparency, the EC reiterated that timely dissemination of voter turnout figures is a statutory requirement and assured that constituency as well as booth-wise data is accessible to candidates.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge recently penned a missive to opposition leaders urging them to unite in raising their concerns over purported discrepancies in the voting data released by the EC.
Official figures from the Election Commission disclosed a voter turnout of 66.14 percent for phase one and 66.71 percent for phase two of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Similarly, the EC’s voter turnout app revealed a turnout of 65.55 percent for the third phase held on Tuesday.
While the EC has furnished the total number of electors in each constituency along with the voting percentages, opposition parties are pressing for additional details regarding the number of voters who exercised their franchise.
Apart from the turnout figures, opposition parties have flagged speeches made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders during campaign rallies, alleging violations of the Model Code of Conduct. The Election Commission has taken cognizance of these complaints, issuing notices to BJP president JP Nadda and Congress president Kharge over purported breaches of the Code.
ALSO READ: UMF backs Congress in Telangana