The controversy over Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's comments in Boston, US, about the Election Commission snowballed today, with sources in the poll panel calling it "absurd".
"After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd," sources said.
The Congress leader, sources said, showed not only a disrespect towards the law but also workers of his own party and the lakhs of election staff.
Mr. Gandhi, who went to the US on April 19, asserted that "It is very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised, and it is very clear that there is something wrong with the system. I have said this multiple times".
Speaking at a programme on Sunday, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed more people voted in the Maharashtra assembly election than there were adults in the state.
"The Election Commission gave us a voting figure for 5.30 pm, and between 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm, 65 lakh voters voted. This is physically impossible... For a voter to vote, it takes approximately three minutes, and if you do the math, it would mean that there were lines of voters till 2 am, but this did not happen," Mr. Gandhi said.
He also said when asked for the videography, the Commission "not only refused but also changed the law so that now we are not allowed to ask for the videography".
Election Commission sources said during the assembly Elections in Maharashtra, 6,40,87,588 voters, who reached the polling station from 7 am to 6 pm, voted.
About 58 lakh votes were polled per hour on an average. Going by these average trends, nearly 116 Lakh voters could have voted in last two hours. Therefore, casting of 65 lakhs votes by electors in two hours is much below the average hourly voting trends, sources said.
Moreover, in every polling booth, the voting progressed in front of the polling agents formally appointed by the candidates or their political parties. The Congress candidates or their agents did not raise any substantiated allegations about abnormal voting before the Returning Officer and the Election Observers the next day, sources said.
The Commission sources also said that the electoral rolls in the state were prepared according to the rules under the Representation of People Act. The Special Summary Revision was duly conducted and the final copy of Electoral Rolls was handed over to all parties, including the Congress.
In Maharashtra, against 9,77,90,752 voters, only 89 appeals were filed and there were no grievance from the Congress or any other party.
