After Criticism, Election Commission Releases Voting Percentage For First Two Phases
Following severe backlash, the Election Commission of India has released the voter turnout for the first two phases. The recorded voter turnout for phase one held on April 19 is 66.14 percent while the second phase, held on April 26, recorded 66.71 percent of voter turnout.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had previously criticised the polling authority of delaying the voter turnout numbers highlighting how the EC used to publish the voter percentage immediately after polling or within 24 hours.
Based on the data released, Lakshadweep registered 84.16 percent of voter turnout, followed by West Bengal (81.91 percent), Tripura (81.48 percent) in phase one. With only 49.26 percent voter turnout, Bihar recorded the lowest percentage in the phase one elections.
Notably, Manipur recorded the highest voter turnout of 84.85 percent followed by Assam (81.17 percent), and Tripura (80.36 percent) in phase two. Uttar Pradesh ranked the lowest with 55.19 percent in the phase two of the Lok Sabha elections.
The overall female turnout has been registered at 66.14 percent, while the male turnout was registered at 66.71 percent.
ECI formally releases voter turnouts for first two phases:
Phase 1: 66.14 %
Phase 2: 66.71 % pic.twitter.com/HdIBs3nuiG— Arvind Gunasekar (@arvindgunasekar) April 30, 2024
The ECI officially released the numbers amidst criticism for delaying the process. While the Commission had released the polling percentage around 7 pm during polling days, it did not release the exact and final numbers.
Additionally, the data released by the authority are percentages and not the exact numbers to estimate the votes.
These data are not in numbers, it is the percentage of Voter turnout.
We want voter turnout data in figures/numbers only then can it be compared with votes counted numbers. https://t.co/Nlq7h6j4ch— Poonam Agarwal (@poonamjourno) April 30, 2024
Jairam Ramesh, the Congress MP, pointed out that “for the first time, even 11 days, after the first phase of the polls and four days after the second phase, the final voter turnout has not been published by the ECI.”
Questioning what accounted for the delay, Ramesh highlighted that the data to the number of registered voters in each Lok Sabha constituency and the assembly constituencies within the Lok Sabha constituencies was unavailable on the Commission’s official website. The website only had data regarding the total number of voters in a state and the number of voters in each booth. Furthermore, the data has not been collated based on assembly segments or the constituencies.
The Congress leader said, “It is essential for the Election Commission of India to be as timely and transparent about all election- data.” Soon after Ramesh’s tweet of criticism, the ECI published the official voter percentage of both phases of the Lok Sabha elections held so far.
Notably, the voter turnout stands lower than the registered voter percentage in 2019.
For the first time, even 11 days after the first phase of the polls and four days after the second phase, the final voter turnout has not been published by the ECI. In the past, ECI used to publish the final voter turnout immediately after voting or within 24 hours. Only…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 30, 2024
