False campaign being run to discredit LS polls, says EC on turnout figure claims

The Election Commission rejected a citizens' platform analysis criticising voter turnout figures in the Lok Sabha elections. It dismissed it as a "false campaign" to discredit the polls. Congress had raised concerns over significant discrepancies in turnout percentages between initial and final figures, particularly in states like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The EC stated that challenges to election outcomes should be through legitimate means like an election petition, noting a decrease in such filings compared to previous years.