SC seeks EC response on plea over mismatch, delay in voter turnout data: 'Why is it difficult to put it on website'
What the difficulty was in putting it up [the voter turn out details or Form 17] on the website," a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked the ECI counsel, Amit Sharma, according to Bar and Bench. The ECI counsel replied, “It takes time. We have to collect a lot of data" and that it can't be done overnight.
"The polling officer of every polling booth submits Form 17C to the Returning Officer?" asked the CJI. Sharma said that it is not immediately done and takes some time and won't reach the same day. "Alright.
It reaches the second day. Now why don't you upload it? We will give you reasonable time," the CJI was quoted by Live Law as saying. The counsel appearing for the ECI said that the Returning Officer has to go through every data so that there won't be any mismatch.
The ECI further argued that the real-time voter turnout figures given by the Voter Turnout App are tentative because it is being updated on a realtime basis. "So any mismatch with the App Data and Form 17C data is not material," he said. Meanwhile, the petitioner's counsel said that there are concerns about the rise in the final voting percentage figures disclosed by the ECI.
"Citizens are aggrieved. Because they feel whether EVMs are being replaced. Suddenly there is a rise of 6 percent," the petitioner's lawyer submitted.
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