The Election Commission of India (ECI) has firmly rebuffed allegations of mismanagement and delay in the release of voter turnout data. Dismissing such accusations as baseless and
potentially damaging to the democratic process, the ECI said they were “reflective of a biased and deliberate attempt to spread confusion.

The letter, issued on Friday, May 10, warned the Congress president that such unfounded accusations “can have a negative impact on voter participation” and can “demoralise the huge
number of election staff.” The EC fully respects the right to free s peech and considers it to
be the privilege of political parties and their leaders to correspond and communicate with each other, it said.

In response to Kharge’s “allegations/insinuations,” the EC gave a thorough explanation, addressing each point and referring to the laws and rules that govern how turnout data is released.