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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released absolute voter turnout numbers for the first five phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and reiterated that the polling data has always been accessible to both candidates and the public.
The ECI released the absolute polling numbers a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to the poll body on an NGO's plea for uploading polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website during the Lok Sabha elections and favoured a "hands-off attitude" amidst an ongoing electoral process.
Hitting out at what it called a "pattern of false narratives and mischievous design to vitiate electoral process", the ECI maintained that voter turnout data has always been promptly available through its app from 9:30am of the poll day of each phase.
The ECI stressed that any alteration of the number of votes polled is not possible due to the rigorous, transparent, and participative process involved.