‘Variation in polling gures due to lack of uniformity in app use’
There was a marked dierence between the polling percentages shared by the Returning Ocers and the oce of the CEO on the day of polling
Alack of uniformity in the use of a mobile-based application by election ocials on the day of polling in Tamil Nadu led to the confusion in the calculation of the polling percentage, it has emerged.
While most of the election ocials fed their inputs into the application, a few did not do so. Hence, sample data were used and shared with the media, Chief Electoral Ocer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo said in Chennai on Monday. When the sample was less, the skew was more, he said. It was not mandatory for ocials to key in their inputs, as many of them might be busy with the polling.
There was a signi cant dierence between the polling percentage shared by the Returning Ocers and the oce of the CEO on the day of polling. Every two hours on polling day, the Returning Ocers and the CEO were releasing the
gures. The inputs fed by ocials into the Poll Turnout Monitoring System was for internal use, Mr. Sahoo said. The information shared by the Returning
Ocers was added.
The Election Commission has retained 171 surveillance teams in Tamil Nadu, including 69 ying squad teams and 102 static surveillance teams, in 12 districts bordering the States going to the polls.
Twelve ying squad teams have been deployed in Krishnagiri; nine each in Salem, Theni, and Vellore; six each in Erode, Kanniyakumari, and Tirupattur; and three each in Coimbatore, Tenkasi, the Nilgiris, and Tiruppur districts. Static surveillance teams have been positioned in Tirunelveli and Tiruvallur (15 each); Krishnagiri (12); Salem, Theni, and Vellore (nine each); Coimbatore, Erode, Kanniyakumari, and Tirupattur (six each); and Tenkasi, the Nilgiris, and Tiruppur (three each).
All the counting centres across Tamil Nadu are under nal, he CCTV surveillance, and the Returning Ocers would visit the strong rooms daily to monitor their security. A total of 15 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces are guarding the strong rooms.
With polling completed in the State, the Tamil Nadu government has requested the Election Commission to relax certain restrictions of the model code of conduct.
The State has sought the relaxation of the restrictions so that Ministers could conduct review meetings and routine bureaucratic work could be carried out.
As polling has been completed in all 39 Lok Sabha constituencies and the Electronic Voting Machines have been moved to the counting centres, many associations have sought the easing of curbs.
While most of the ocials fed their inputs into the application, a few did not do so. Hence, sample data were used and shared with the media
Chief Electoral Ocer