Fresh scrutiny has hit the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections as experts highlight a dramatic surge in votes recorded between 8pm and 2am and multiple revisions in turnout figures, rising from 68% to nearly 82%. Citing implausible voting speeds and lack of access to Form 17C, they demand audits, real-time booth data and stronger transparency safeguards for the EVM-based process.
Fresh allegations surrounding the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections have triggered renewed debate over the integrity of the polling process, with claims of large-scale voting after midnight and sharp revisions in voter turnout figures.
At a press conference in Delhi on 31March 2026, economist Parakala Prabhakar flagged what he described as “unusual” voting patterns during the 2024 polls, which saw the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), secure a decisive victory by winning 164 out of 175 seats.
According to Prabhakar, around 4.16% of total votes were cast between 11:45pm and 2am. He also claimed that polling continued till 2am in nearly 3,500 booths across Andhra Pradesh. The data cited during the briefing suggested that nearly 52 lakh votes were recorded between 8pm and 2am, including more than 17 lakh votes cast after midnight.
Prabhakar further highlighted the speed of voting during this period, stating that one vote was recorded every 20 seconds after midnight. He questioned how such voting rates were possible, noting that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) typically take time to reset between votes. He also pointed to instances where votes appeared to be cast within six seconds, raising doubts about whether voters could realistically complete the voting process in that time.
He concluded that the pattern suggested “something unusual” had occurred after 8pm during the polling process.
Concerns were also raised about the revisions in voter turnout figures on polling day. On 13 May 2024, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Andhra Pradesh announced that 68.04% votes had been polled by 5pm. The Election Commission on India (ECI) later reported a turnout of 68.12% at 8pm.
However, by 11:45 pm, the turnout was revised upward to 76.50%. Four days later, the final turnout figure was revised again to around 81.79%, according to ECI data.
Prabhakar analysed these changes and pointed out that between 5pm and 8pm, turnout increased by just 0.08%. However, between 8pm and 11:45 pm, the turnout jumped by 8.38%. A further increase of about 4.16% was recorded after midnight, translating to approximately 17.19 lakh additional votes.
He noted that the average number of votes cast after midnight in 3,500 booths worked out to around 491 votes per booth. Based on standard voting speeds, he argued that such numbers would typically require several hours to complete, yet polling reportedly ended by 2am.
Prabhakar also pointed out that Andhra Pradesh voters were casting two votes, one for Assembly and another for Lok Sabha, which would normally slow the process further. He questioned how such large volumes of voting were completed within a short time window.
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan also raised concerns about transparency in the election process. He questioned why Form 17C, which contains booth-wise polling data, had not been made public. He also highlighted the absence of voter lists in machine-readable formats, which he said made independent verification difficult.
Bhushan also flagged the absence of publicly available records of voters who remained in queues after polling hours. He warned that without access to such data, large-scale manipulation could go unnoticed.
He called for mandatory counting of VVPAT slips and real-time access to booth-level data to improve transparency and credibility in elections.
Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi supported the concerns and called for an audit of election records, including Form 17C and Form 20. Form 20 is the final result sheet prepared by the returning officer after counting of votes.
Quraishi questioned why discrepancies appeared in aggregated data if Form 17C was signed and sealed at the booth level. He also suggested same-day disclosure of polling percentages and immediate release of booth-level summaries.
Concerns over the late-night surge in voting had also been raised earlier by political parties. In February 2026, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) demanded a probe into the late-night increase in polling percentage. The party alleged that nearly 50 lakh additional votes were recorded between 11:45 pm and 2am, pushing turnout from around 68% to over 81%.
YSRCP leaders also claimed inconsistencies in the number of tokens issued to voters after polling hours and the final number of votes recorded. The party called for a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
However, the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) rejected the allegations, stating that similar turnout increases had been observed in previous elections and that grievances should be raised through official channels.
Earlier, in July 2025, a YSRCP delegation met the ECI to raise concerns over EVM functioning and voter turnout spikes during the 2024 General Election in Andhra Pradesh, which took place simultaneously to the Assembly Election. The party alleged technical anomalies, mismatches in VVPAT slips, and suspicious increases in polling percentages.
The delegation also demanded a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and called for a return to ballot paper voting, arguing that manual voting would improve transparency and public trust.
The 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections resulted in a landslide victory for the NDA alliance. The TDP won 135 seats, while the BJP secured eight seats and Jana Sena Party won 21 seats.
Chandrababu Naidu returned as Chief Minister for the fourth time following the decisive mandate.
However, the allegations regarding late-night voting, turnout revisions and transparency concerns have renewed debate over the credibility of the polling process. Calls for audit and disclosure of booth-level data continue.
Responding to the allegations, the ECI has stated that legal remedies exist for candidates or parties who suspect discrepancies in elections, but none were pursued after the Andhra Pradesh elections. Officials also stated that raising concerns two years after the election was not consistent with established legal procedures.
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