(Bloomberg) — India’s Election Commission on Friday increased turnout figures for the final phase of elections, even as the government body faces criticism from opposition figures and other groups.
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The Election Commission said the turnout in the fourth phase of India’s general election, which took place on May 13, was 69.16%, almost two percentage points higher than the previous reading.
India’s main opposition party and advocacy groups have questioned the commission’s turnout figures, saying delays in releasing the data and major revisions cast doubt on the quality and credibility of the figures.
In addition, India’s Supreme Court on Friday gave the Election Commission a week to respond to a petition from a pair of non-governmental organizations seeking the rapid upload of election data after the vote.
Earlier this week, the commission said total turnout in the first four voting phases was 66.95%, only slightly lower than 2019’s record high turnout of 67.4%. About 451 million people have voted so far, according to the commission.
Before the revisions, turnout figures showed a decline in voter participation in the general election compared to five years ago, raising questions about whether the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party could achieve its ambitious election goals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had predicted that the BJP and its allies would win 400 of the 543 seats in India’s lower house, the Lok Sabha.
Pre-election polls showed Modi likely to return to power, but analysts have said the drop in turnout signals a lack of enthusiasm among the electorate as voting has picked up steam and uncertainty has spread to the financial markets. An unprecedented heat wave across the country has also affected turnout.
The Election Commission has said it needs to collect data from a large number of polling stations and said there has been no unusual delay in releasing voting figures. Nearly 1 billion Indians are eligible to vote in the six-week elections, with the final phase of voting taking place on June 1 and the winner announced on June 4.
With the aim of increasing turnout, the committee said it is “undertaking targeted interventions to reach every eligible voter.” These include sending text messages urging voters to go to the polls, voting day alerts sent via Facebook and voter awareness activities during Indian Premier League cricket matches.
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