Cong seeks info on polling details from EC:suspects foul play

Claiming that there was an unusual increase in percentage of votes given on polling day and the final figures in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress in Telangana has sought information on polling details from the Election Commission, suspecting foul play.

Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy, who made a powerpoint presentation on the issue on Monday, met EC officials in Delhi two days ago and submitted a representation.

"The 'spike' in polling percentages after 5 PM in the state assembly elections in December 2018 and in the parliament elections in April 2019 in Telangana is totally unprecedented," he said.

Reddy said the state Chief Electoral Officer gave the polling percentage on April 11, when polling for the Lok Sabha seats took place in the state, to be 60.57 per cent and next day as 62.69 per cent - an increase of only 2.12 per cent.

However, the fact was that the percentage on polling day (5 PM) was 59.06 per cent and it was 64.32 per cent (next day), an increase of 5.26 per cent, Reddy claimed.

"He (CEO) says that the increase on average across the state is 2.12 per cent. That is wrong.... So the actual increase is 5.26 per cent. Rajat Kumar (CEO) should explain why he sought to downplay it," he said.

The total number of votes polled after 5 PM in all 17 parliamentary constituencies was 15,36,784, averaging about 90,399 votes per each parliamentary constituency, he claimed.

Reddy further claimed that there has been an increase of 14.13 per cent in Nizamabad, while in Secunderabad there has been increase (polling percentage) of 7.06 per cent, "which means 1,38,951 votes were cast after 5 PM".

On the contrary, "there has been a decrease of 0.58 per cent" in Chevella Parliamentary Constituency," which means the total number of votes polled in fact decreased by 14,146 as compared to the votes polled at 5 PM, he said.

The Congress has sought copies of reports of Returning Officers about assembly segment wise polled votes at 5 PM on polling day and the next day (figures) in all 17 PCs.

It asked for polling station wise votes polled as per the 5 PM records in Nizamabad, Secunderabad, Khammam and Chevella constituencies.

The party also sought polling station-wise time when voting finally ended after 5 PM and also station-wise footage inside the polling stations till the end of voting.

Suspecting "illegal voting", he said "the increase in the percentage of polling after 5 PM is apparently being exploited as a loophole for a new type of "rigging" (because there is scope for increase in votes polled).

The Congress said it would firm up its future course of action after analysing the information provided by the EC. This may include legal action.