TNI Bureau: Serious allegations over the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections have cast a long shadow on electoral credibility. Claims that votes were cast in as little as six seconds and that over 4% polling occurred after midnight have raised alarming questions. Economist Parakala Prabhakar alleged that nearly 17 lakh votes were recorded post-midnight, with polling reportedly continuing till 2 am across thousands of booths.
Equally troubling are discrepancies in voter turnout data. Figures reportedly jumped from around 68% at poll close to over 81% in final counts, fuelling suspicion about transparency.
While authorities have dismissed these concerns as delayed and procedurally invalid, the issue refuses to fade. Calls for greater transparency—release of booth-level data, Form 17C records, and VVPAT verification—are growing louder.
Elections are the bedrock of democracy. Even the perception of irregularity can erode public trust. The need of the hour is not dismissal, but an independent audit because in democracy, credibility matters as much as the mandate.
