NEW DELHI: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has urged the Election Commission (EC) to conduct an independent audit of the voting process in the 2024 General and Assembly elections in Odisha, alleging serious discrepancies in vote counts. A delegation of the regional party met the poll panel on Tuesday and submitted a second memorandum, reinforcing concerns first raised in December last year.
Call for transparent election monitoring
BJD leaders stressed the need for a periodic “process audit” of the entire electoral exercise by independent auditors or the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). They also proposed citizen participation in monitoring elections from inception to result declaration and suggested a concurrent audit at polling booths and during vote counting to uphold trust in the electoral process.
The party also recommended tallying all Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counts at every booth using advanced counting machines. Additionally, they demanded a 30-day deadline for District Election Officers to furnish copies of Forms 17C Part I & II, as well as all VVPAT slips, to any citizen upon request.
Concerns over unexplained variances
The BJD alleged significant mismatches between votes recorded in Form 17C, filled by presiding officers, and Form 20, maintained by returning officers. The party claimed that discrepancies were particularly evident in votes cast simultaneously for Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies across Odisha’s 21 Lok Sabha seats.
For instance, BJD cited vote variations of 4,056 in Dhenkanal, 3,521 in Kandhamal, and 2,701 in Balangir, among other constituencies. They argued that such inconsistencies necessitate greater transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
EC’s response and opposition support
The party revealed that while the EC responded to their concerns on Monday night, the reply appeared “mechanical” and did not adequately address the gravity of the issues raised.
BJD leader Amar Patnaik stated, “A cursory glance suggests the response lacks depth. We need a comprehensive review of the election process to ensure fairness.”
Interestingly, the BJD found common ground with opposition parties, including the Congress and Trinamool Congress, which have also raised concerns over duplicate voter ID cards in Parliament. The BJD emphasized that its demand for an end-to-end process audit should also include regular voter roll revisions to prevent fraudulent entries.