West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has made serious allegations regarding the integrity of the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state, claiming that the results were tampered with to favour the ruling party. In a detailed tweet, Adhikari pointed to discrepancies in vote tabulation that he says exemplify how the Election was “stolen.”
The margin of victory in the Arambagh Lok Sabha Constituency is only 6399 votes.
This is an illustration how the election was stolen.
The tabulation sheet of the ARO (Assistant Returning Officer) Table, where the EVM Data is primarily noted by the Counting Agents, shows the… pic.twitter.com/vV90ZKihGK— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 1, 2024
Adhikari’s tweet focused on the Arambagh Lok Sabha Constituency, where the margin of victory was a mere 6,399 votes. He provided a specific example from Booth No. 236 of the Haripal Assembly to illustrate his point. According to the tabulation sheet from the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) table, where Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) data is initially recorded by counting agents, the votes for the candidates were as follows:
- TMC Candidate: 252 votes
- BJP Candidate: 254 votes
However, Adhikari highlighted that when this data was transferred to the computer room for updating and eventually uploaded to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) website, the figures showed a significant discrepancy. The updated results for the same booth showed:
- TMC Candidate: 552 votes
- BJP Candidate: 254 votes
“This discrepancy is a clear indication of tampering,” Adhikari stated. He claimed that there were other instances of similar manipulation, which collectively could have altered the outcome of the Election. He argued that the BJP candidate would have won had the process been fair and transparent.
Adhikari further elaborated on the limitations faced by political parties during the counting process. “A political party has control till the ARO tables of the Assembly-wise Counting Rooms. If manipulation happens after the data leaves the room, what can the candidate do? It seems that the personnel entrusted with such responsibilities were complete sellouts,” he said.
The BJP leader’s allegations raise significant concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in West Bengal. According to Adhikari, a political party’s control ends at the ARO tables, leaving room for potential manipulation once the data is transferred to the computer room and subsequently updated on official platforms.
This is not the first time the election process in West Bengal has come under scrutiny. Previous elections have also faced accusations of irregularities and malpractices, although the ECI has consistently maintained that it strives to ensure free and fair elections.
In response to Adhikari’s claims, TMC leaders have dismissed the allegations as baseless and an attempt to undermine the democratic process. They argue that the ECI’s robust mechanisms and checks are in place to prevent such discrepancies and that any tampering claims should be thoroughly investigated through official channels.
