Questions have been raised over the management of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the vote-counting process in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections. CPM Central Committee member Tammineni Veerabhadram said there were several issues that needed closer examination.
Veerabhadram referred to a survey and analysis conducted by social scientist Parakala Prabhakar, saying that the study had highlighted certain discrepancies in polling and vote-counting data.
According to Veerabhadram, data from around 1,400 polling booths was examined as part of the analysis. He claimed that in some booths, the number of votes recorded during counting appeared to be higher than the number of votes reported as having been polled.
He further alleged that some polling booths with a stated capacity of around 1,500 votes reportedly had figures of up to 2,000 votes appearing in the counting data. These claims, he said, had raised questions about the accuracy of the election results.
Veerabhadram said data scientists and election experts had examined the figures and submitted details to the Election Commission. He called for the data to be independently scrutinised so that the concerns surrounding the 2024 Andhra Pradesh election results could be addressed.
He also claimed that similar data-based analyses concerning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections had raised questions about the outcome in around 79 constituencies across the country.
The CPM leader stressed that concerns over EVM management, polling data and vote counting should be examined transparently. He said a detailed discussion involving election experts and relevant authorities was necessary to establish the facts and address public concerns.
The allegations and interpretations cited above require verification by the Election Commission and independent experts. Any conclusion about the integrity of the election results would need to be based on verified official data and evidence.
