ECI Adds 10.7M Indian Voters After 4 Phases

Indian citizens voted in the fifth phase of the general elections on 20 May. The provisional voters in 49 constituencies across eight states is 60.09% but absolute numbers are not yet declared. In earlier phases, final percentages released days after polling day have seen large jumps (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 18, Story 2). The role of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in conducting free and fair polls is under the scanner. According to one media house, updated ECI numbers show a jump of 10.7M voters after 4 phases. That amounts to 28K additional voters for each of the 379 constituencies. On 10 May, a civic rights group, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) filed an application in the Indian Supreme Court asking it to direct the ECI to publish final voting numbers immediately after each phase of election. This was the norm in all previous elections, also a press conference after every phase. Both have not been fulfilled this time. The Supreme Court has sought a response from the ECI within a week and will hear the matter on 24 May, before the sixth phase. Publishing the numbers is actually easy. Party representatives at every polling booth receive a signed Form 17C with actual numbers. This can simply be compiled and uploaded, but now on the ECI website even old data has been wiped out. In other election-related news, Indian PM Narendra Modi filed his nomination from Varanasi, but his mimic Shyam Rangeela, contesting against Modi, was denied his nomination. Modi will be addressing rallies in Panjab on 23-24 May. Farmer unions have resolved to protest at the rallies.