The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) has highlighted a significant discrepancy in the 2024 Lok Sabha election results. According to their analysis, there is a difference of nearly 600,000 votes between those recorded by EVMs and those counted or not counted in 538 constituencies.
The ADR found that in 362 constituencies, almost 550,000 votes appear to have not been counted despite being recorded by EVMs. Conversely, around 35,000 more votes were counted than recorded by EVMs in 176 seats. While the winning margin in most cases was significantly larger than the discrepancy, five seats saw a difference of less than 1,300 votes between the winning margin and “uncounted” votes.
The ADR has called on the Election Commission to publicly explain the discrepancy. They have also filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the release of all voter turnout numbers. The court is set to resume hearing the petition, where the ADR plans to present the latest facts related to the Lok Sabha election and argue for action to be taken.
The ADR’s concerns stem from the release of voter turnout data, which has raised questions about discrepancies in the figures. They had previously sought scanned copies of Form 17C, which records votes cast at each polling station, to be published after each phase of the election.
The Supreme Court had previously dismissed the ADR’s petition to verify all EVM votes through VVPATs, calling for trust in the system.
The BJP emerged victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, winning 240 seats and forming a coalition government with the NDA. The Congress-led opposition alliance won 232 seats, significantly improving their performance compared to the previous two elections.