"We Prepared For Fake Narratives From External Forces, But They Came Internally": CEC Shares Learning From Lok Sabha Polls

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar called out the "fake" narratives of discrepancies in voter percentage, tampering with voter lists and EVMs and allegations of Union Home Minister Amir Shah talking to 150 DMs.

"We failed to understand the fake narratives that were going on during the elections. We admit this, but we have understood it now," Kumar said on Monday (3 June) adding that they learned three things.

"We should have concluded the elections at least a month ago, instead of stretching it to such hot weather. We could not cut down the duration of elections, but could have shifted it before," Kumar said.

"Second learning is that we should have prepared to fight the fake narrative. We expected such attacks from external forces and had prepared for that, but that didn't happen. It happened internally," he said.

Kumar added that the third learning is that elections should not be held on Friday and Monday because that gives a very long break but they could not follow it this time because of various variables.

For the counting of votes scheduled tomorrow (4 June), the CEC said, "Postal ballot counting will start first. There is no doubt about it. After only half an hour, we will start EVM counting."

Kumar expressed that the ECI will soon start the process of Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir as the Election Commission is enthused by seeing the high voter turnout in the parliamentary elections.