EC says gender turnout data released only at final count, defying RJD's demand

New Delhi: Amid criticism of the Election Commission by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for “not disclosing” the male-female data of the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls, officials on Monday underlined that the gender-wise turnout ratio is generally given at the time of final turnout.

Officials said the overall gender ratio in voter turnout is “generally” given at the time of final turnout.

While the first phase of the poll was on November 6, the second phase is on Tuesday. According to EC, approximately 65.08 per cent of record voter turnout has been registered in the first phase of polling.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, Yadav claimed that the RJD-helmed opposition coalition will not allow “vote theft or dishonesty”.

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“The EC has not disclosed the gender-wise data of electors who cast their votes on November 6 even after four days have passed from the first phase of assembly polls. This is happening for the first time. Earlier, it was given immediately,” he claimed.

Yadav also claimed that altogether 208 companies of security personnel from BJP-ruled states have been deployed in Bihar for poll duties.

“Why have the security personnel been deployed from BJP-ruled states? We are keeping a close watch on them. Around 68 per cent of police observers are from BJP-ruled states. Why is it so?” he asked.

Responding to the allegations, EC officials said nearly 80 per cent of the police forces are deployed from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and only about 20 per cent of the police forces are deployed from the state armed police (SAP) which are drawn proportionately from different states according to their availability.

SAP has been taken from 24 different states, including Jharkhand, Telangana, Kerala, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.

They pointed out that observers have been deployed proportionately from all states, irrespective of the ruling party in the respective state.

They also asserted that CCTVs have been functioning at all strong rooms.

Wherever any malfunction has come to notice, it has been promptly rectified, they added.

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