"In An Election, Hands Off!" Supreme Court Adjourns Voter Turnout Data Plea

Several opposition leaders, including Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra and the Congress' Pawan Khera, have red-flagged what they claim as possible vote fraud related to Form 17C data.

The Supreme Court has adjourned - till after the Lok Sabha election - pleas seeking release of voter turnout data, including votes polled and/or rejected, within 48 hours of end of polling at each booth. I was original petitioner in Supreme Court in 2019 itself via WPC 1389/2019 asking EC to publish within 48 hrs of polling all voter data of Form 17C. Case is listed on May 24 for hearing.@AITCofficial@MamataOfficialpic.twitter.com/F1aqS9nK4R

The pleas sought directions to the Election Commission to compile and publish this data on its website after each phase, beginning with the next round of voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

A vacation bench of the court reasoned an immediate ruling could "overburden the Election Commission during polls... by changing the process midway". The bench also noted five of seven voting phases had been completed and that the results were due in less than two weeks, on June 4.