The Election Commission of India (ECI) held a press conference on Monday, just a day before the vote counting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, addressed the media, discussing the extensive electoral process and addressing various concerns.
CEC Rajiv Kumar began the conference on a lighthearted note, referencing social media memes criticizing the ECI's perceived inactivity. "Laapta Gentlemen are back," he joked, adding, "We were not lapata. We were in the background and were always interacting with you on press notes."
Highlighting the scale of the elections, Kumar called it a "miracle" what had been accomplished over the past three months. With a record 642 million voters participating, this election had the highest voter turnout in any electoral contest worldwide, surpassing even the combined voter base of G7 and EU countries. Kumar emphasized the significant participation of women, with 312 million women voters, and gave a standing ovation for their involvement. He also noted the participation of 85,000 persons with disabilities (PwDs).
The election process was supported by 1.5 crore polling and security personnel, 68,763 monitoring teams, 135 special trains, 1,692 air sorties, and 4 lakh vehicles. Only 39 repolls were necessary, a significant decrease from the 540 repolls in 2019, with 25 of these in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Jammu and Kashmir saw a 58.58% overall turnout, with 51.05% turnout in the valley, while Manipur had 94 special polling stations, achieving 71.96% voting in inner Manipur and 51.72% in outer Manipur, with no major incidents of violence reported.
Kumar stated that over 90% of the 495 Model Code of Conduct (MCC) complaints were resolved, with fewer incidents of violence this election. Notices were issued to top leaders, FIRs filed against many, top officials transferred, and advisories sent to parties to ensure compliance by top campaigners. The ECI's cVigil app received 4.56 lakh violation complaints, and their search portal saw 620 million searches on electoral roll information on the seven voting days.
Addressing the integrity of the counting process, Kumar reassured that it was robust and codified. "There are polling personnel and candidate agents. Over 30-35 lakh people are inside the counting booths across the country. Party agents have Form 17 with them. There is no scope for any systematic errors or manipulation," he asserted.
On rumors about Returning Officers (ROs) and District Magistrates (DMs) being influenced, Kumar stated, "If anyone has any evidence, they should give us before counting and we will take action. But such rumors should not be spread without any evidence." He emphasized that complaints should come from those directly involved in the counting process, not from external sources.
Kumar also mentioned that the ECI conducts a post-poll analysis to check for anomalies or fault lines, ensuring transparency and fairness. Addressing the issue of a BJP candidate in Surat winning unopposed despite NOTA being an option, he clarified that the legislative scheme is clear and that the ECI's role is to ensure contests happen wherever possible. If candidates withdraw voluntarily, the ECI cannot intervene unless there is evidence of coercion.
On the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, Kumar announced that the process would begin soon.
Responding to the opposition's demand to count postal ballots first and declare their results, he explained that the 54A Act mandates postal ballots be counted from 8 AM, with EVM counting starting at 8:30 AM. This process has always been in place and cannot be altered midway.
Kumar also addressed the spread of "mischievous narratives" by opposition and civil society groups, stating, "We failed to understand this pattern. First, there was a case that voter lists were faulty. Nothing came of it. Then, just before the first phase, the EVM issue arose. After the polls started, voter turnout data was questioned. These narratives were baseless."
Reflecting on the learnings from this election, Kumar acknowledged that the election should have concluded a month earlier to avoid the peak summer and that the ECI needs to be better prepared to combat false narratives.