Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Chief Electoral Officer denies charges of deliberate voting jump

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) have raised doubts over the jump in voting in the closing hours.

Mumbai: Amid charges of the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi-I.N.D.I.A. opposition bloc of a doctored jump in voting percentage, the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra said that it was normal because of a surge in voting during the closing hours. 

“According to the data released by the Election Commission, the voter turnout was 58.22 per cent at 1700 hrs on the polling day on 20 November, 65.02 per cent at 2330 on the same night and 66.05 per cent the next day on 21 November 2, resulting a total increase of 7.83 per cent,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole had said and asked the Election Commission to release video footage of polling stations.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) too have raised doubts over the jump in voting in the closing hours.

“In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, the voting percentage at 5 pm was 58.22 per cent (approximate) and the final voting percentage was 66.05 per cent. This is normal as voting continues even after 1800 hrs, till the last person who stood at the queue at 1800 hrs votes,” the state CEO’s office said.

According to the poll body, even in 2019, the percentages were 54.43 per cent (approximately) at 5 pm and 61.10 per cent finally. 

“In urban and semi-urban areas, which constitute a large chunk in Maharashtra, a large number of voters come in the evening,” the state CEO said.

"It is important to note that two-hourly voter turnout information on the day of poll upto 1700 hrs is based on oral telephonic communication only,” it said.

“On the other hand,  Form-17C which is given at the 'Close of Poll' to polling agents, matches with the final percentage and votes counted. Information in Form-17 C is matched by Candidate’s counting agents while counting,” it said.

Maharashtra Assembly poll 2024 results | Check constituency results here

Jharkhand Assembly poll 2024 results | Check constituency results here

Bypoll 2024 results | Check Karnataka results here

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls took place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP went up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress tried to make their mark. Maha Yuti are currently comfortably poised to win. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faced a challenge after Hemant Soren's arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP, but look set to retain power with its I.N.D.I.A. allies. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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