AP 2024 Election Results Highly Suspicious

Noted economist and social commentator Dr Parakala Prabhakar has reiterated that the outcome of the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha elections raises serious questions, citing what he describes as “highly suspicious” polling patterns. He claims that a detailed analysis of official polling data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) points to unexplained irregularities behind the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led alliance’s sweeping victory.

The TDP-led coalition secured a landslide win, capturing 164 out of 175 Assembly seats and 21 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Dr Prabhakar’s investigative article, published on the national news website The Wire, has triggered widespread debate. In an interview with senior journalist Karan Thapar, he cited official figures to question the feasibility of the late surge in voting recorded on polling day, May 13, 2024.

According to the official data, voter turnout stood at 76.50% at 11:45 pm on polling day, eventually rising to 80.66% by 2 am. This translates to a 4.16% increase — approximately 1.7 million votes — cast within just 2 hours and 15 minutes across about 3,500 polling stations.

Dr Prabhakar argued that this would mean an average of 491 votes per booth during that period, or roughly three voters casting ballots every minute. He described this as “practically impossible,” especially given the standard voting procedure, which involves identity verification, signature or fingerprint confirmation, ink marking, and casting votes for both Assembly and Lok Sabha candidates using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT systems.

“Even under ideal conditions, the entire process cannot be completed in a matter of seconds. Casting two votes — one for the Assembly and one for Parliament — along with mandatory verification procedures, makes such rapid polling implausible,” he said.

Highlighting further anomalies, he noted that between 5 pm and 8 pm on polling day, only about 34,000 votes were cast across the same polling stations — an average of just seven votes per booth per hour. However, later in the night, the voting rate surged dramatically, raising serious doubts about the consistency of polling trends.

Dr Prabhakar also questioned whether voters could realistically have remained in queues for up to nine hours, from the official closing time of 5 pm until 2 am, to exercise their franchise.

He said he had written to the Election Commission nearly three weeks before the publication of his article, presenting these concerns and seeking clarification. However, he claimed that the Commission had not responded. He added that he had previously raised similar concerns regarding polling processes in other states, including Maharashtra, Haryana, and Bihar, but had received no response.

“The credibility of democracy rests on the integrity and transparency of elections. If doubts about the polling process are not addressed promptly, public trust in democratic institutions may erode,” Dr Prabhakar said.

The article has drawn strong reactions, with many supporting his call for transparency while others have disagreed with his conclusions. Dr Prabhakar said he hopes the Election Commission will respond to the questions raised and clarify the circumstances surrounding the late-night spike in polling.

He emphasised that restoring public confidence in the electoral process is essential to safeguarding the strength of India’s democracy.

(In association with The Wire)