Election Commission Reports No Differences Between VVPAT and EVM Data in Maharashtra

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has raised serious concerns regarding alleged discrepancies in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, specifically accusing the misuse of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). In response, the Election Commission (EC) issued a statement on Tuesday, asserting that no discrepancies were found between the votes recorded on EVMs and the corresponding Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips during the random counting process.

According to the State Election Commission, as per EC guidelines, it is mandatory to count VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations in each Assembly constituency. On November 23, VVPAT slips from five randomly chosen polling stations in each of the 288 constituencies were counted, with 1,440 VVPAT units being tallied against the EVM control unit data. The EC confirmed that no discrepancies were found in this process, and the due procedure was followed, as reported by the concerned District Election Officers (DEOs).

However, following the landslide victory of the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition last month, the MVA has continued to allege irregularities, particularly questioning the voter turnout data. The MVA claimed that 76 lakh votes were added in the last hour of polling, raising suspicions over the accuracy of the results.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the EC's press statement, pointing out that it was issued without the signature of the State Election Commissioner, thereby fueling further concerns. "It is an absolute lie... The EC is trying to mislead the country. There is no such arrangement for tallying votes from VVPAT and EVMs unless a recount is requested," said NCP (SP) MLA and former minister Jitendra Awhad, dismissing the EC’s explanation as a "whitewash."

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole demanded that the EC clarify the sudden increase of 76 lakh votes in the final hour and show CCTV footage from the counting centers. "The main question is how did 76 lakh votes increase, and why is the EC not showing the CCTV footage? The EC should act transparently, as it has failed to do so in this entire process. Issuing mere press statements will not help," Patole said.

The controversy continues to unfold as the MVA parties call for greater transparency and answers from the Election Commission regarding the conduct of the elections.