Voter Turnout Data Disclosure: SC Adjourns Petitions Seeking Directive To ECI

New Delhi: There has been a huge political uproar over Election Commission of India’s (ECI’s) delay in issuing voter turnout data and lack of actual numbers after every phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election.

On Friday, however, the Supreme Court adjourned, till after the election, petitions seeking release of voter turnout data, including votes polled and/or rejected, within 48 hours of end of polling in each booth.

Pleas by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and others had sought directions to ECI to compile and publish this data on its website after every phase, beginning with the sixth round of voting which will take place on May 25.

A vacation bench of justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma said it was necessary to adopt a “hands-off approach” as Lok Sabha elections are currently underway.

“We can’t interrupt something that’s already underway… In between elections, hands-off approach has to be taken. Let the application be heard along with the main writ petition. We cannot interrupt the process. Let us have some trust in the authority,” the bench remarked while deferring pleas of ADR and Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who is contesting from Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal.

The top court took note of submissions by senior counsel Maninder Singh, who appeared for ECI, and said that the plea was moved after the election process had already begun.

“It’s an election spread over seven phases. Tomorrow is the sixth phase. This particular compliance that you are asking for will require manpower and regulatory compliance,” the bench told senior counsel Dushyant Dave, who appeared for ADR, and senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represented Moitra.