In a significant move to enhance electoral transparency, senior Congress leaders have filed a petition with the Supreme Court, urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to upload Form 17C on its website immediately after polling concludes.
Form 17C, which details the number of votes cast at each polling station, is critical for public transparency in the electoral process. The public interest litigation (PIL) also seeks an interim order to mandate the ECI to release Form 17C for the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections 2025, as well as for all future elections.
The petition emphasizes the necessity of making Form 17C publicly accessible to prevent electoral malpractices. The document includes vital data such as the total voters at a polling station, registered voters in an area, those who did not vote, candidates’ names, vote tallies for each candidate, and electronic voting machine (EVM) identifications.
This form plays a crucial role in legal challenges concerning election results, and the petition raises concerns about inconsistencies in the voter turnout data published by the ECI during both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Furthermore, the complaint argues that the ECI’s failure to disclose Form 17C undermines public trust in the electoral process and contravenes the Right to Information (RTI) Act, as this important data should be available to the public without delay on the day of polling.
