The Supreme Court is hearing today an application seeking the uploading of Form 17C data on the ECI website and the publication of booth wise voter turnout data.
A vacation bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and SC Sharma will hear the matter. The application has been filed by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). A writ petition filed by TMC leader Mahua Moitra in 2019 alleging discrepancies in the voter turnout data of the 2019 General Elections is also listed today along with it.
The ECI has opposed the application stating that there is no legal mandate for the general public to access Form 17C. The ECI stated that as per the Conduct of Election Rules, Form 17C can be given only to the polling agent of the candidate. The ECI also said the uploading of Form 17C on the website can lead to “mischief” and confuse the voters leading to mistrust in the process.
Follow this page for live updates from today’s hearing.
