New Delhi – The Election Commission of India (ECI) told reporters this week that it has not released any extra data after the first phase of the Bihar Assembly polls. The announcement comes amid headlines that final voter‑turnout numbers might rise after the provisional figures are updated.
### Why the delay?
Opposition leaders and social‑media commentators questioned why the ECI had not published definitive turnout numbers or the male‑to‑female voting ratio. ECI officials clarified that the complete gender‑parity data is only given in the final report. They emphasized that provisional figures, which may be incomplete, can give a distorted picture. “The ECI always prioritises accuracy over haste,” a source said.
### Gender‑balanced voting
The Commission has spent the past decade trying to boost turnout among women, especially in rural areas. “We run targeted awareness campaigns to encourage equal participation,” the source added. The gender ratio will therefore appear only in the final turnout summary.
### Security forces on the ground
Another point of contention was the policing arrangement. The ECI said that almost 80 % of the about 85,000 security personnel were drawn from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). The remaining 20 % came from State Armed Police (SAP) units spread across 24 states, such as Jharkhand, Telangana, Kerala, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka. “No single state dominates; availability and logistics drive allocations,” the source explained.
The deployment helped keep the polls calm, with no major incidents reported during the voting days.
### Neutral observers
Observers were a key focus. More than 500 general‑public, police and expenditure observers from across India were deployed, and they were chosen without regard to the ruling party in their home states. “Proportionality ensures checks and balances,” the ECI reiterated, countering claims that the observers favored the incumbent NDA coalition.
### Electronic voting safeguards
The ECI confirmed that CCTV cameras monitored all 25 strong rooms that house electronic voting machines (EVMs). The system was fully functional. “We had only 12 glitch incidents, all fixed within hours,” said an ECI source. Footage from the strong rooms was made available to party agents and will be kept for 45 days, as per protocol.
Overall, the Commission stressed that its focus is transparency, neutrality and the integrity of the electoral process.
Source: ianslive
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