Mumbai, May 2 (IANS): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) about the increase in the voting percentages of Phase I and Phase 2 Lok Sabha elections, and asked how it suddenly shot up after so many days.

Speaking to the media here, he said that the hourly and daily voting percentages in all the Lok Sabha constituencies that have voted so far, provided on the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer and ECI websites were the latest current data.

“However, after 11 days from the Phase I (April 19) and a week after the Phase 2 (April 26) polling, the ECI has released the voting percentages which are much higher than the live data given on the polling dates. Where did the extra votes come from?” demanded Raut.

He pointed out that the voting percentages have changed by 7-10 per cent in many constituencies, though in Nagpur it has reportedly reduced by some points, and the low turnout had rattled the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Pointing a needle of suspicion, he said that after the low voter turnout, many people had taken note and expressed concerns over the considerable drop in the voting percentages as compared with the 2019 polling data.

The very same people are now surprised that the low percentage has shot up in 11 days and has nearly equalled the 2019 poll tally, raising questions.

“This is the digital era in a digital India… Does it take them 11 days to give the voting percentages? We can understand a difference of half or one per cent in the final calculations, but such a huge gap of 7 or 10 per cent or more is difficult to digest,” said Raut.