The Congress’ resurgence coincides with high voter turnout in the constituencies where it won, in a Lok Sabha election that has reported an overall dip in votes cast from 2019. While the vote share per candidate is yet to be made public by the Election Commission, it is clear that of the nearly 100 seats where the Congress has scored victory, most seats reported a high voter turnout of 6570% or more. As many as 68 of the 98 seats where the Congress was leading prominently or seen winning on the counting day have reported a voter turnout of over 65%, EC data show. Of these, 38 posted a turnout of more than 70% — from 92% at Dhubri in Assam that elected Rakibul Hussain with a margin of 9.5 lakh votes, to 84% in Lakshadweep. Wayanad, which Rahul Gandhi won with a 3.6 lakh vote margin, reported a 73.5% voter turnout. Pradyut Bordoloi retained his seat in Nagaon which reported a near 85% voter turnout. In BJP stronghold Gujarat, Geniben Nagaji Thakor of the Congress broke through and won the party its sole Lok Sabha seat in Banaskantha, which reported a near 70% turnout. Inner Manipur, with its 80% turnout, brought in Congress’ Angomcha Bimol Akoijam. Even overall trends on turnout bear out this pattern. When seen conversely, of the 58 seats across the seven phases which reported a poor voter turnout – lower than 55% – only seven have gone with the Congress while as many as 30 have been won by the BJP. BJP’s Vivek Thakur won Nawada in Bihar which posted a 43% turnout, while Ravi Shankar Prasad scored a victory in Patna Sahib where only about 46% voters turned out to vote. Ajay Tamta of the BJP scored victory in Almora in Uttarakhand which recorded a 48.7% turnout. In all, among the ten constituencies which reported the lowest turnout, six have gone to BJP. In contrast, three of the ten constituencies with highest turnout have gone to the Congress, while the TDP has won four. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe BJP has only one of these ten — Bishnupur in West Bengal which recorded an 85% turnout where BJP’s Soumitra Khan had a 6,000plus lead Tuesday night. For the Congress, votecount wise, after Rakibul Hussain’s 9.5 lakh lead in Dhubri, Sasikanth Senthil has a lead of 5.5 lakh margin in Tiruvallur. In Rohtak, Deepender Singh Hooda was leading with a near 3.4 lakh margin. Kumar Selja recorded a 2.6 lakh margin win in Sirsa, while Hibi Eden retained Ernakulam with a 2.5 lakh margin. However, while there is a clearly high voter turnout in seats wrested by the Congress, there is a question that arises on the female voters and its support to the grand old party
Tag: Election Commission
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Byelections in 26 ACs across India; 6 Himachal Congress rebels' seats to go on polls on June 1
Byelections in 26 ACs across India; 6 Himachal Congress rebels' seats to go on polls on June 1
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Big Jolt To Sharad Pawar As EC Says Ajit Pawar-Led Faction Is ‘Real’ NCP |
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday dealt a major blow to the faction helmed by veteran Maharashtra leader Sharad Pawar by settling the dispute within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in favor of the faction led by his nephew and state’s deputy chief. minister Ajit Pawar. According to the sources, the poll panel has given the Nationalist Congress Party name and symbol to the faction led by Ajit Pawar in a significant decision that is likely to have a bearing on the upcoming polls. The Election Commission also provided the Sharad Pawar faction with a one-time option to choose a name for its new political entity and provide three preferences to the poll body. The concession is to be utilized by 3 pm on February 7, 2024, the poll body said.
EC settles the dispute in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), rules in favor of the faction led by Ajit Pawar, after more than 10 hearings spread over more than 6 months.
Election Commission of India provides a one-time option to claim a name for its new political formation… pic.twitter.com/1BU5jW3tcR — ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2024
Welcoming the EC decision, Ajit Pawar faction leader Praful Patel said, “We welcome the ruling of the Election Commission…We live in a democracy and any decision can be challenged. Maybe attempts will be made to challenge this at the Supreme Court or High Court…All I would like to say is that the decision we made was correct and through EC, our decision has been proven correct.”
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis also congratulated NCP leader Ajit Pawar after ECI ruled the NCP name and symbol matter in favor of his faction.
However, Sharad Pawar’s daughter and MP Supriya Sule said, “…Our documents were fine. The founder member and founder leader of this party is only Sharad Pawar…But now the atmosphere is something else right now. There is an ‘ adrishya shakti’ in the country which is doing all this. We will fight…We will definitely go to Supreme Court…”
She went on to add, ”…I think what happened with Shiv Sena is what is happening with us today. So, this is not a new order. Just the names have been changed but the content is the same…”
Celebrations At Ajit Pawar’s Mumbai Office
Celebrations began outside Ajit Pawar’s office in Mumbai soon after the EC ruled in favor of their faction.
EC Decision Shakes Up NCP Dynamics
The decision, announced on Tuesday, not only grants legitimacy to the Ajit Pawar faction but also bestows upon it the coveted NCP name and symbol, setting the stage for upcoming electoral contests. Facing a tight deadline, the Sharad Pawar-led faction has been offered a one-time opportunity to christen its new political entity and submit three preferred names to the Commission by February 7, 2024, by 3 pm.
EC Verdict After More Than 10 Hearings
Following an exhaustive process spanning over six months and encompassing more than ten hearings, the EC meticulously weighed the merits of both factions’ contentions.
Prolonged Legal Battle In Court
The legal battle witnessed formidable representation from luminaries such as Mukul Rohatgi, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, and Maninder Singh for the petitioner, countered by the expertise of Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Devdatt Kamat from the respondent camp.
Central to the EC’s decision was the determination of the faction holding sway over the party’s legislative wing, which ultimately favored the Ajit Pawar-led contingent. Serious discrepancies in the Sharad Pawar faction’s claims, particularly regarding organizational majority and adherence to the party constitution, undermined the credibility of their assertions. Given the imminent Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the EC has extended a special allowance to the Sharad Pawar faction, urging compliance with electoral regulations.
EC Seeks Transparency In Political Processes
In a broader admonition, the Commission urged political entities to embrace transparency in their internal affairs, emphasizing the need for comprehensive disclosures regarding organizational elections and democratic procedures.
Call For Public Disclosure
Proposing voluntary public disclosures, including party constitutions, electoral procedures, and office-bearer lists on party websites, the EC seeks to empower the electorate with crucial information, thereby enriching the democratic process.