The Election Commission rebutted a letter written by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to his colleagues in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on the alleged “discrepancies in voting data” released by the election panel. The EC called Mr. Kharge’s letter an “attempt to push a biased narrative under the guise of seeking clarifications”.
The rebuttal was released just an hour before the EC’s meeting with INDIA bloc leaders, where apart from the voter turnout data, the leaders also questioned the EC’s inaction on complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. They also flagged the Uttar Pradesh Police’s practice of issuing “red cards” to individuals, asking them to stay away from polling stations on voting day. At the meeting, according to sources, the leaders expressed dismay at EC’s public rebuttal, just minutes before the meeting.
