About Vote for Democracy (VFD)

Vote for Democracy (VFD) is a Maharashtra-level citizens’ platform comprising individuals and organizations, established in 2023. Our mission is to ensure voter registration, raise voter awareness, and promote hate-free elections where accountability and transparency are paramount.

Our leadership team includes founders; Teesta Setalvad, Dolphy D’Souza, Father Frazer Mascarenhas and Khalil Deshmukh.

Draft Report: CONDUCT OF HARYANA & JAMMU & KASHMIR VIDHAN SABHA ELECTIONS 2024

Analysis of ‘Vote Manipulation’ and ‘Misconduct during Voting and Counting’

Press Release (Nov 19, 2024)

Hindi Press Release

Marathi Press Release

Executive Summary

“REPORT: CONDUCT OF LOK SABHA
ELECTIONS 2024”

Analysis of ‘Vote Manipulation’ and ‘Misconduct during Voting and Counting’
Has the 2024 Mandate been Stolen from the People of India?

This report, “Conduct of Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Analysis of ‘Vote Manipulation’ and ‘Misconduct during Voting and Counting”, provides a comprehensive summary of the (mis)conduct of the General Election 2024. In particular, across the four chapters, the report highlights the alleged malpractices during the polling process, numerical discrepancies in the results, violations of election laws, (mis)conduct of ECI and its personnel, especially the returning officer(s), and judicial precedents concerning the conduct of free and fair elections. It aims to highlight three important aspects regarding the Lok Sabha 2024 election, first, the significant and unexplained hike in the final voter turnout figures vis-à-vis the figures released at the end of the polling day(s) (close to 5 crore vote hike is reported in this manner); second, inexplicable discrepancies reported between EVM votes polled and count in over 350+ constituencies, and lastly, allegedly rigging affecting election results in some of the Lok Sabha constituencies, for example, Mumbai North West and Farrukhabad. It also provides a general checklist to readers to identify potential, even if unreported, malpractice that may have occurred in a constituency.

We have also provided several tables in the annexure and elsewhere in the report to help readers identify the trends affecting election results, both at a state level and nationally. In the annexure, Table 1 consolidates the list of all the Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) where the winning margin/defeat margin has been under 1 lakh votes. Table 2 provides the list of the Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) where the discrepancies have been found between the EVM votes polled and EVM votes recovered and counted for all the seats where the defeat margin is 50000 votes or less, and Table 3 has shortlisted the Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) including where the allegation of malpractices have been suspected or reported. The report in its conclusion suggests that these discrepancies and malpractices have disproportionately benefitted the ruling dispensation, but it leaves open to readers to draw the inference based on the given data and arguments.

Note: All the numerical data used in the report have been taken from the official sources, primarily, the Election Commission of India.

Sections of the Reports

Executive Summary

Notice to ECI

ECI Notice served on July 19, 2024

Over a dozen countrywide organisations and prominent individuals have, on July 19, 2024, served notice to the Election Commission India over the multiple issues of gross illegalities/irregularities, vote manipulation and misconduct, spurious injection of votes as well as violations Model Code of Conduct and Supreme Court judgments during Voting and Counting in the 18th Lok Sabha Election 2024 conducted under the Superintendence, direction and control of the Election Commission of India as Commission is holder of repository power under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution.

In this notice to the ECI, Citizens demand answers from the ECI over the partial selection of the Election Commissioners, appointed just two days before announcement of the Lok Sabha Election 2024. The notice also questions the obvious irregularities through the Voting process during the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, that has blatantly violated the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 and the elections conducted through EVMs was undemocratic as section 59 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951 (RPA) which mandates the conduct of elections through ballot paper not by EVMs.

The Notice to the ECI has been endorsed by MG Devasahayam (IAS, Retd. & Forum for Electoral Integrity) , Prof. Harish Karnick (retd IIT Kanpur academic & Member, Independent Panel for Monitoring of Elections),), Teesta Setalvad, Dolphy D’Souza (Vote for Democracy), Dr Bharat Patankar (Lok Morcha, Maharashtra), Prafulla Samantara (Lok Shakti Abhiyan, Orissa), Shyam Gaikwad (Progressive Republican Alliance), Tara Rao and Noor Sridhar (Eddelu Karnataka), Roma (AIUFWP), KM Subhaan, Thomas Pallithanam, and Ramesh Patnaik (Meluko Andhra Pradesh), Aflatoon (Samajwadi Jan Parishad), Harkumar Goswami and Shishir Dey (Forum for Social Harmony), Dr Kushal Singh (Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Punjab), Dr. Sunilam (Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Madhya Pradesh), Jitendra Nath Nandi (Manthan Samayiki), Thomas Franco (People First), and Javed Anand (Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy).

The Notice demands a thorough investigation into the issues raised and the irregularities/illegalities pointed out in the Notice for the information of the voting public who are the real stakeholders in any election. The Notice further demands that the ECI take immediate action including

Set aside the election of the illegally returned candidates on grounds of non-compliance with the provisions of the Constitution or of RP Act or of any rules or orders made under this Act.
Countermand the election in the constituencies where large-scale spurious injection of votes have taken place as per the list provided in the Annexure Tables (State-wise Constituencies) and (Polling Day and Counting Day Malpractices as reported) and order re-election.

The Notice, moreover seeks ECI’s explanation and accountability on the issues of large-scale spurious injection of votes, the illogical and chaotic scheduling of election voting misconduct, malpractices and voting manipulation, serious violations of Model Code of Conduct, form 17C not distributed to the voting agents, delay in releasing voter turnout, Returning Officers violated statutory directions. The Notice provides detailed Tables on the calculated increase in Vote Percentages, the discrepancies between Votes polled and votes counted and makes a strong case for independent inquiry and investigation.

Press Release

Prof. Harish Karnick's Message

Prof. Harish Karnick on the notice served to the Election Commission of India on allegations of gross irregularities and misconduct in the 18th Lok Sabha Election 2024.