Multiple opposition leaders have voiced concerns about the Election Commission of India (ECI), claiming it has failed to share transparent polling data during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Their primary accusation is that the ECI published only voting percentages — rather than the actual vote counts — for the first two phases held on April 19 and April 26, raising doubts about the true figures.
Given the enormous voter population in each constituency, opposition parties argue that relying on percentages alone can obscure significant numerical details. This lack of clarity has led to suspicion that the ECI may be shielding the real numbers in favor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Critics have also pointed out that the ECI revised vote percentage figures without offering explanations. On May 1, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her unease about the sudden upward revisions, calling them troubling.
According to a report by Livemint, Banerjee also questioned the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Her concerns were echoed by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, who stated that percentage-based data is insufficient without absolute numbers and emphasized the need for full transparency from the ECI.
Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh, in a tweet dated May 1, criticized the 11-day delay in releasing data for the initial phases of voting, calling it unacceptable.
Despite these criticisms, the Election Commission has not publicly responded in a way.
