The Election Commission posted a series of tweets on Sunday to dismiss allegations of irregularities in voter turnout figures in the Lok Sabha polls that were renewed by the Congress on Saturday.

Without naming the Congress or the civil society report that the party cited, the EC tweeted: “False campaign is being run by some (other than candidates) in furtherance of design to discredit largest elections ever held in the history of mankind in most transparent manner involving candidates/stakeholders at every stage of elections.”

The poll panel added: “Unfounded attempts are made to compare approx
turnout fig at 7pm on poll day (when many PS might be closing poll &/or voters waiting in queue) with ‘End of Poll’ turnout available a day after poll day. Electoral data & outcomes are strictly as per statutory forms & procedures u/RPA.

“While legitimate means to challenge an electoral outcome by a candidate or elector is through an Election Petition u/ RPA 1951, no EP is reportedly filed on such grounds. A lesser number of EPs have been reportedly filed in 79 PCs in GE 2024 as against 138 EPs in GE 2019.”

An EC source said that 92 election petitions (EPs) — an aggrieved candidate’s only resort after the declaration of results — have been filed after the recent parliamentary polls.

On Saturday, the Congress had asked the EC to respond to the “Conduct of Lok Sabha Elections 2024” report by NGO Vote for Democracy, Maharashtra. The report said that 4.72 per cent of voters casting their vote after the close of polling hours was “unacceptable”.

Voters in queues at the close of polling are permitted to vote. The final turnout is attested by polling agents of candidates at polling stations and verified by counting agents of the candidates before an EVM is counted.