New Delhi: A BJD delegation submitted a memorandum on variances in the votes cast in the 2024 Parliament and Assembly Elections in Odisha to the Election Commission of India (ECI) here on Monday.
Later speaking to the media, BJD leader Amar Patnaik said that they have flagged three issues in the letter petition. “First, the difference in total votes polled in a particular booth and the total votes finally counted in the same EVM. The form 17 (C) is given by the presiding office at the closure of voting and form 20 is filled up by the returning officer while counting. From the available information, we found a difference of 682 votes between the two forms in a booth in Kandhamal Parliamentary constituency. Similar discrepancies were also found in Sundargarh constituency. For a pan-India analysis, our candidates made representations to the returning officers to furnish them copy of form 17 (C) Part 1 and 2, but are yet to receive them,” he said.
The BJD leader said that this variance raises questions on the integrity of the poll process. “We had expected the use of EVMs to lessen these discrepancies or bring them to a naught as compared to manual voting. Such huge difference raises alarm as it can impact the results,” he said.
Patnaik said the second issue was about number people who voted in the elections. “This is for first time in the history Odisha elections and perhaps also in the country, the reported voting percentage after the end the polls at 5 pm and that final voting percentage mentioned by the EC after two days, saw a difference ranging from 15-30 per cent in 50 of 147 Assembly constituencies. This variation was 15-20 per cent in 30 Assembly constituencies and 20-25 per cent in 10 seats. In two Assembly segments – Kantamal and Keonjhar,- the variation was the highest at 28.69 per cent and 30.64 per cent, respectively,” he said.
Earlier, it would be around 0-2 per cent, he added.
“The Keonjhar seat from where Chief Minister Mohan Majhi was elected saw the highest variance. If u took 11.45 pm as the cut off point to take into account the people who were waiting to cast their votes, the difference still was 10 per cent. This requires a serious analysis and inquiry since there have a visible improvement in the mode of communication including internet facilities and we have sought the same from the EC,” he said.
Patnaik said that the third issued is the number of votes polled in a Parliamentary constituency and those cast in the Assembly constituencies under it. “The process tells us that there should be no difference in the number of votes. The voting percentage intimated by the EC is also one but we found discrepancies on comparing the figures in all 21 Lok Sabha seats. This variation ranges from 4,056 votes in Dhenkanal Parliamentary constituency to 3,521 in Kandhamal Parliamentary constituency and 2,701 in Balangir Parliamentary constituency. In Jajpur Parliamentary constituency, where we lost by less than 2,000 votes, the difference in Parliamentary constituency and Assembly Constituency votes was 677,” he claimed.
The BJD leader informed that they relied on data available on the websites of EC and State Electoral Officer’s and some the Forms 17 (C) available with their candidates. “We had applied for the rest but did not get and hope that the EC would give direction to the State Election Officer and the returning officers to provide us the data on payment of the requisite fee. The applications were filed two months ago. A clearer would merge once all data are available,” he added.
Patnaik said that the citizens have tremendous confidence on EC for conducting free and fair elections. “We have pointed out that these differences could be arising either due to machine error or out of manual error or a process error or a combination of all. We have requested to the EC without casting aspersion that there is a need to reassure the people of Odisha and the country that these discrepancies, which we could not understand and explain with the knowledge we have of the poll process, are not vitiated by these 3 factors. Therefore, they need to clarify these points to us,” he concluded.
