Fresh doubts and political questions have once again emerged over the polling figures recorded during the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections.
The Election Commission reported that 68.04% polling had been recorded by 5 PM on May 13, while the final polling percentage eventually reached 81.79%. The sharp increase, particularly the votes reportedly recorded late at night, has now become the centre of a political debate.
According to political analyst Dr. Parakala Prabhakar, between 11:45 PM and 2 AM, as many as 17,19,482 votes were recorded across 3,500 polling stations. This works out to an average of around 492 votes per polling station.
That raises a series of questions: How could so many votes have been cast during those hours? If the figures are calculated at the polling-station level, it would amount to roughly 3.6 votes per minute, or more than 200 votes per hour. In simple terms, the calculation suggests that only around 20 seconds per vote would have been available.
Is such a voting pace practically possible?
This is the question raised by Dr. Parakala Prabhakar. Former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar has also raised questions about counting VVPAT slips.
If such a large number of voters actually cast their votes during the midnight hours, questions naturally arise: Where were those voters? Where are their videos? Why has CCTV footage not been made public? What do the official polling records show?
These questions have now triggered a wider political debate.
17.19 Lakh Votes Recorded at Midnight?
From 68.04% to 81.79% — What Happened in Between?
On election day, May 13, the Election Commission announced that 68.04% polling had been recorded by 5 PM. However, the final polling percentage was reported at 81.79%.
This is where the central question begins.
It is normal for polling to continue beyond 5 PM, particularly when voters who were already in queues are allowed to cast their votes. However, questions are now being raised about the volume of votes reportedly recorded during the late-night hours.
According to figures cited by Dr. Parakala Prabhakar, 17,19,482 votes were recorded between 11:45 PM and 2 AM across 3,500 polling stations.
That means an average of approximately 492 votes per polling station.
This leads to the crucial question:
How were such a large number of votes cast at individual polling stations during the midnight hours?
3.6 Votes Per Minute Only 20 Seconds Per Vote?
The calculations cited by Dr. Parakala Prabhakar make the issue even more contentious.
According to the figures he presented, during the daytime, polling at an average polling station was around 60.7 votes per hour. However, between 11:45 PM and 2 AM, the rate allegedly rose to more than 200 votes per hour.
That translates to approximately 3.6 votes per minute.
In other words, the calculation suggests that each voter would have had only around 20 seconds to complete the voting process.
Is that practically possible?
A voter has to enter the polling station, undergo identity verification, complete the voting procedure and cast the vote through the EVM. The VVPAT system also records the vote before the next voter proceeds.
The question, therefore, is how thousands of votes could have been recorded at such a rapid pace if the calculation of 20 seconds per vote is accurate.
Dr. Parakala Prabhakar has also referred to voting times in other countries, claiming that it can take between 76 and 123 seconds to cast a vote in some systems.
This raises another question: How could voting have taken place at such a high speed in Andhra Pradesh during the late-night hours?
17.19 Lakh Votes Recorded at Midnight?
Where Were the Midnight Voters? Why Not Release the Videos?
Another important question concerns the physical presence of voters.
If more than 17.19 lakh votes were actually cast between 11:45 PM and 2 AM across 3,500 polling stations, a large number of voters would presumably have been present at polling stations during those hours.
That raises several questions:
Where were those voters?
Where are their videos?
Where is the CCTV footage?
If long queues existed outside polling stations, why have visuals of those queues not been made public?
These are among the questions raised by Dr. Parakala Prabhakar.
If large numbers of voters were waiting in queues late at night, he has sought the release of relevant videos and CCTV footage.
He has also questioned whether polling officials recorded details of voters waiting in queues in the relevant polling records and registers.
If such records were maintained, the demand is that they should also be made available for public scrutiny.
If There Are Doubts About EVMs, How Can Public Concerns Be Addressed?
Dr. Parakala Prabhakar has also raised a broader issue concerning the credibility of the electronic voting process.
According to his argument, if doubts exist about EVM-based voting, the crucial issue is whether the vote cast by a voter was correctly recorded and ultimately counted as intended.
Any possibility of discrepancies, whether real or perceived, needs to be addressed through transparent evidence and verifiable procedures.
He has also referred to countries such as Germany, where voting systems have moved away from electronic voting and rely on paper ballots.
The larger issue, therefore, is not merely about the number of votes.
It is about whether a voter can confidently believe that the vote they cast was correctly recorded and that the same vote was ultimately included in the final count.
That confidence is central to any democratic electoral system.
Why Aren’t All VVPAT Slips Counted? Undavalli Arun Kumar Raises Questions
Former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar has questioned why VVPAT slips are not counted in their entirety when doubts arise regarding the election process.
When questions are being raised about a large volume of late-night polling, he has also questioned why the related CCTV footage should not be made available.
The broader argument is that when doubts arise among voters, they should be addressed not merely through statements, but through evidence and verifiable records.
If examining VVPAT slips can help address doubts about the relationship between votes cast and votes counted, the question is why they should not be comprehensively examined.
Did Chandrababu Naidu Raise Questions About EVMs in the Past?
Undavalli Arun Kumar has also recalled that Chandrababu Naidu had previously raised concerns about the possibility of irregularities in EVMs.
Now that Chandrababu Naidu is the Chief Minister, Undavalli has argued that the government should ensure a comprehensive examination of the issue and place the facts before the public.
The political question being raised is straightforward:
Was the position on EVMs different when Chandrababu Naidu was in opposition, and is it different now that he is in power?
According to Undavalli’s argument, the responsibility now lies with the government to ensure that the facts are established transparently.
Are Votes Being Deleted in the Name of ‘SIR’? Another Allegation
Undavalli Arun Kumar has also raised another issue concerning electoral rolls.
He has alleged that the names of several voters are being removed under the ‘SIR’ process.
He further claimed that similar developments had occurred in constituencies where leaders such as M.K. Stalin and Mamata Banerjee faced electoral setbacks in recently held elections.
He expressed apprehension that a similar situation could emerge in Andhra Pradesh.
These claims, however, need to be examined against official electoral-roll records, deletion data, notices issued to voters and other relevant documentation before any conclusion can be reached.
Were Voters Shifted From One Polling Booth to Another?
MLC Monditoka Arun Kumar has also raised another issue concerning the polling process.
He has alleged that voters assigned to one polling booth were shifted to another location and that some of them had to wait for hours before eventually casting their votes late at night.
If such an incident occurred, it would be a serious matter requiring verification.
Questions that arise include:
Which voters were shifted?
From which polling station to which polling station?
Why were they shifted?
How long did they have to wait?
How many votes were ultimately cast late at night?
What do the official polling records show?
These are issues that require clear answers based on official records and evidence.
This Is Not Just About Vote Numbers It Is About Public Trust in Democracy
The question of who won or lost an election is ultimately a political matter.
But questions about how votes were recorded, when they were recorded, how quickly they were recorded and what evidence exists to verify those figures go much deeper.
They concern public confidence in the electoral process.
If the figure of 17.19 lakh votes recorded during the late-night period is accurate, then the complete details behind those figures need to be explained.
The obvious questions are:
If CCTV footage exists, can it be examined?
If polling records exist, can they be verified?
If voter queues existed, are they reflected in official records?
If VVPAT records exist, can they provide additional verification?
The objective should not be to establish a political narrative in favour of one party or against another.
The objective should be to ensure that every legitimate doubt surrounding the electoral process is answered through transparent, independently verifiable evidence.
Tell Us How Those 17.19 Lakh Votes Were Cast
The figures cited by Dr. Parakala Prabhakar regarding 17,19,482 votes recorded between 11:45 PM and 2 AM, Undavalli Arun Kumar’s questions regarding VVPAT slip counting, and MLC Monditoka Arun Kumar’s claims about voters being shifted between polling stations have together fuelled a wider debate over the Andhra Pradesh election process.
The key questions remain:
How were 3.6 votes per minute recorded?
Was it practically possible to complete the voting process in around 20 seconds per voter?
Where were the voters who allegedly cast votes during the midnight hours?
Where are the corresponding videos and CCTV footage?
Were details of voters waiting in queues recorded in official registers?
If such records exist, can they be made available for verification?
Why should VVPAT slips not be examined more extensively when doubts are raised?
These questions should not simply be dismissed as political allegations. At the same time, they should not automatically be treated as proof of electoral wrongdoing without verification.
The appropriate democratic response is transparency, evidence and independent verification.
A vote is not merely a number. It represents the constitutional and democratic choice of a citizen. When doubts arise about that vote, the electoral system has a responsibility to address those doubts with credible evidence.
So, the central question remains: How were those 17.19 lakh votes recorded during the midnight hours?
Explain how those votes were cast. Present the records. Address the public’s concerns and put the doubts to rest.
