Why Opposition Worried About Polling % Numbers?

[Anta Assamey]

The BJP-led coalition at the Centre seems to be facing a tough time. Having witnessed anti-BJP wave in the first two phases of polling in the northern states, the BJP leaders seem to have changed the tone and tenor of their campaign too. What does the difference in the polling percent revealed by the Election Commission in a gap of 11 days reveal?

The Opposition parties raised several doubts over the difference in the figures of the polling percentage released by the ECI right on the polling day on April 19 and that cited on April 30, 11 days after the 1st and 2nd phases of polling.

At 7 pm on April 10, the ECI stated that the polling percentage was 60 per cent while on April 30, it mentioned that 66.14 polling percentage was recorded till the end of the second phase of polling.

Surprisingly, even on April 26, when the second phase of polling was held, the ECI said that 60.96 percent of polling was registered in its press release at 7 pm on that day.

The sudden rise in the polling percentage numbers was questioned by the Trinamool Congress official spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Derek O Brien, in a letter to the ECI.

Even Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had written letters to the chiefs of all the opposition parties to raise their voice against the difference in the polling percentage numbers stated by the ECI. He called upon the opposition leaders to unitedly fight against the discrepancy in the ECI’s figures, to save the spirit of democracy.

The voters have to wait and watch how would the Opposition parties tackle the issue and also keep an eye on what more can happen in the next few phases of polling.