The Supreme Court on Friday refused to direct the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish the booth-wise numbers of voter turnout and upload copies of Form 17C (which reflects the votes polled in each polling station) on its website within 48 hours of polling. The apex court noted that the matter should be heard after the Lok Sabha elections.

“Tomorrow is the sixth phase of elections. We feel that this case should be heard after the elections,” the top court said.

The apex court was hearing a plea by an NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), seeking a directive to upload polling station-wise voter turnout data on its website within 48 hours of the conclusion of polling for each phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

During the hearing, the Election Commission told the Supreme Court that attempts were being made to create suspicion in the minds of voters. “The petition is only founded on suspicion and apprehension. Conducting elections is a herculean task being performed should not let such vested interests interfere,” the poll body said.

According to the plea, the voter turnout data for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections was published after 11 and 14 days of polling respectively. This “inordinate” delay in the release of final voter turnout data, coupled with the unusually high revision of over five per cent, has raised concerns and public suspicion regarding the correctness of the said data, the plea added.

“In order to ensure easy accessibility of the data, a tabulation of the constituency and polling station wise figures of voter turnout in absolute numbers and in percentage must also be disclosed,” it stated.

Earlier on May 17, the Supreme Court gave the Election Commission one week to file its response to a plea against the delay in releasing voter turnout data.