The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: The Election Commission has accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge of a “deliberate attempt to spread confusion on the credibility of the electoral steps”.
In an unusual move, the poll body on Friday, May 10, responded to Kharge’s letter to fellow INDIA bloc leaders earlier this week that was also posted on X, “rejecting” his allegations that the poll body had delayed releasing final voter turnout numbers for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
“Utterances from the president of a national political party attacking the very credibility of the electoral steps and processes can have a negative impact on voter participation and can be seen as a means to deter an elector from exercising their franchise and/or demoralising the huge number of election staff and machinery which is mainly drawn from the respective State Governments,” the EC said in its letter.
It also went on to say that Kharge’s allegations bordered on “vitiating the constitutionally mandated work of ECI”.
Kharge’s letter, which was posted on his X handle on Monday, May 7, had asked whether the “delay” in releasing the number of voters was an attempt to “doctor” the results. He had expressed concern over the poll body releasing turnout figures for phase one and phase two after 11 days and four days, respectively.
“I would urge all of you that we must collectively, unitedly and unequivocally raise our voice against such discrepancies, for our only objective is to protect the culture of a vibrant democracy and the Constitution,” Kharge had said in his letter.
The EC’s letter to Kharge, which was uploaded on its website on Friday, May 10, refuted the allegations and advised Kharge to exercise caution in the future. “The very premise that voter turnout data was released late is devoid of facts as it has always been available on the Voter Turnout app…Needless to add that polling station-wise data of electors and voters is given to an agent of the candidate on the day of the poll itself at the close of poll,” the EC said. It added that the records showed that no Congress candidate had raised concerns at the close of polls.