Lok Sabha Elections 2024: A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) released the final voter turnout of the first two phases, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that a sudden jump in the polling percentage in poll body's latest figures is worrying.
Addressing an election rally in Bengal's Farakka, Mamata Banerjee said there are apprehensions of manipulation of results by the Bharatiya Janata Party as several EVMs are missing.
This comes after the Election Commission (EC) released the final voter turnout data for the first two legs of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, showing a turnout of over 66 per cent in both phases. Compared to the previous polling figures, there is an increase of 3-4 per cent in final voter turnout data released by the poll body.
As per the data, of those eligible to poll in the first leg (April 19), 66.14 per cent of people exercised their right to vote, with the corresponding figures for the second phase (April 26) being 66.71 per cent.
In phase one of polling, the poll panel said that the male turnout stood at 66.22 per cent, female (66.07 per cent) and third-gender (31.32 per cent) and the overall turnout was 66.14 per cent, while the corresponding figures for the second phase were 66.99 per cent, 66.42 per cent and 23.86 per cent.
The EC has also released state-wise and Parliamentary constituencies-wise voter turnout data for the two phases of polling.
The poll panel said that the data is also updated regularly on the voter turnout app as updated in the IT system by Returning Officers through Form 17C.
A copy of Form 17C is also provided for every polling station in a constituency to all candidates through their polling agents. The actual data of Form 17 C shall prevail which is already shared with candidates.
The final voter turnout will only be available post-counting with the counting of postal ballots and its addition to the total vote count.
The postal ballots include postal ballots given to service voters, absentee voters (85+, PwD, essential services, etc.), and voters on election duty. The daily account of such postal ballots received, as per statutory provisions, is given to all candidates.
Additionally, for ready reference of various stakeholders, including media persons, state and Parliamentary constituency-wise overall voter turnout data for the 2019 general elections is also released by EC.
