BJD to Challenge Election Results in High Court: What’s Behind the Controversy?
BJD's Legal Move Over Election Discrepancies
Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has declared its intention to approach the Orissa High Court concerning alleged discrepancies in the voting process during the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. This decision comes after the Election Commission of India reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory response to the party's concerns.
BJD representatives, including spokesperson Amar Patnaik, MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo, and former MP Sarmistha Sethi, made this announcement at a press conference.
"Approximately eight months ago, we submitted evidence to the Election Commission regarding the discrepancies we observed in the last elections, but we have yet to receive a satisfactory reply. Consequently, we have decided to take this matter to the High Court," Patnaik informed the media.
Despite the ongoing agitation led by the Congress and other members of the INDIA bloc regarding alleged vote theft, the BJD has chosen to maintain its distance from these claims.
Patnaik noted, "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has recently raised concerns about election transparency, prompting the state unit to address the issue. However, the BJD had highlighted these concerns long before. Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi echoed our earlier demand for an audit system."
He emphasized that the Election Commission has not alleviated public doubts regarding the transparency of election results, which is why the BJD is pursuing legal action. He clarified that their decision is independent of Congress's allegations of vote theft.
The BJD spokesperson pointed out that upon reviewing the data provided by the Election Commission after the elections, several discrepancies were identified. As a responsible political entity, the BJD sought clarification on these issues.
"We raised three primary concerns. Firstly, in all parliamentary constituencies, the number of counted votes exceeded the votes cast in the EVMs. Secondly, there was a notable difference between the total votes cast in parliamentary and assembly constituencies, despite simultaneous polling," Patnaik explained.
He added, "Lastly, after the polling concluded at 5 PM on election days, the number of votes cast varied significantly, ranging from 7% to 30%. In half of the assembly seats, this discrepancy was between 15% and 30%."
Patnaik mentioned that the BJD lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission on December 19, 2024, requesting a response. Additionally, they called for a comprehensive audit of the election process, from voter list preparation to vote counting, to enhance transparency.
"Such an audit system is standard in developed nations. We also requested that the VVPAT system be applied to all votes, not just a sample of five percent," he stated, noting that the Election Commission has not issued Form 17C as required by regulations.
Given that there are ongoing cases in the high court regarding election results in certain constituencies, the Election Commission's claim that Form 17C cannot be issued is deemed "unsatisfactory," he added.
Sarmistha Sethi, who contested the Jajpur Lok Sabha seat in 2024, shared her experience, stating, "The day after the election results were announced, I requested Form 17C from the Election Commission. When it was not provided, I wrote to them but received no satisfactory response, leading me to approach the High Court, where my case is currently pending."