India General Elections 2024: Activists to set up citizen’s vigil on counting day

EVMs stocked at the N M Joshi Marg Municipal school in Lower Parel. File Pic/Shadab Khan

Activists, politicians, and public intellectuals have decided to set up citizen's vigil in collaboration with the opposition's polling agents on the counting day to ensure no malpractices. This vigil will be observed across the country at around 350 counting booths.

One of the signatories to this vigil is Parkala Prabhakar, an economist, and husband to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman. "We will be holding discussions, sharing counting vigil manuals and details about form 17C," said Teesta Setalvad, an activist with Vote for Democracy.

While inside the counting stations, only counting agents will be allowed, citizen groups like Vote For Democracy, Nirdhaar Maharashtra, Lok Morcha, Maharashtra Democratic Forum, and Bharat Jodo Abhiyan will be providing a legal team for faster resolution.

"If complaints come in from anywhere in the country, there are two helplines; one in South India and the other in the North," Setalvad said. The helpline in the South will also cater to the Western parts. The complaints would be raised with the Election Commission.

The vigil comes in the aftermath of a series of complaints raised across the country and the city on polling day. These included allegations of delay tactics by the opposition leaders in their strongholds and complaints of voters deleting their names from the list.

"The entire period of this 18th Lok Sabha election, particularly after the declaration of polls and the operation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) been marked by a hitherto unprecedented violation of the Constitution, Indian law, and the MCC and also blatant instances of evident malpractices in electioneering," the citizen group's statement to the press read.

"There is genuine apprehension and fear that these levels of structured manipulations will continue both during the counting process and thereafter, failing to respect the mandate of the people," the statement read.

June 4
Day of counting