In a scathing 12-part thread on social media platform  X renowned political economist Parakala Prabhakar has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of grave irregularities in the recently concluded Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, claiming the poll body counted 1,77,673 more votes than were actually polled across the state's 243 constituencies. The allegations, posted early Thursday morning, have reignited debates over electoral transparency just days after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a resounding victory, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clinching 89 seats and its ally Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) 85.

Prabhakar, a vocal critic of the ruling establishment, dubbed the outcome a "Bihar Miracle" in ironic tones, demanding immediate answers from the ECI on why it tallied excess votes, revised elector numbers twice post-Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and withheld gross polling figures. "ECI has to tell the nation how it counted 1,77,673 more than the polled votes?" he wrote in the opening post, attaching screenshots of ECI press notes and constituency-wise declarations. His thread, which has garnered over 1,000 views within hours, methodically dissects official data, painting a picture of potential incompetence or deliberate opacity that could undermine the mandate's legitimacy.

The controversy builds on pre-existing concerns raised by opposition parties. Even before results were declared on November 14, the Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI(ML)) had flagged a suspicious surge of over three lakh voters in Bihar's electoral rolls during the final revisions. The ECI, in response, attributed the increase to the inclusion of service voters and deletions of deceased or shifted names, dismissing accusations of foul play as "misinformation." However, Prabhakar's analysis shifts focus from voter lists to the actual vote tally, introducing a fresh layer of doubt.

Recapping the timeline from Prabhakar's thread: The ECI, on September 30, pegged Bihar's electors at approximately 7.42 crore following the SIR—a vague "~" figure that Prabhakar questions for lacking precision. By October 6 this rose to 7,43,55,976 after adding 1,63,619 service voters. Post-polling, on November 11 the total jumped again to 7,45,26,858, with turnout reported at 66.91%.

The very next day turnout was upwardly revised to 67.13%.Applying this percentage to the final elector count yields 5,00,29,880 votes polled statewide. Yet, aggregating ECI's own constituency declarations—screenshots of which Prabhakar shared—reveals 5,02,07,553 votes counted. The 1,77,673-vote gap, he argues, defies logic. "The difference between polled votes and counted votes from all 243 constituencies comes to 1,77,673 votes," he stated, urging the ECI to explain the anomaly.

Prabhakar's critique extends beyond numbers to systemic lapses. Why, he asks, did the ECI alter elector totals twice after the SIR, a process meant to finalize rolls? Why withhold gross polling data for the state and individual seats when percentages are routinely published? "When EC can give percentage polling figures, what difficulty does it face to announce the gross voting figures state-wide and constituency-wise?" he probed in the 10th post.

The thread culminates in pointed speculation: Is this "an innocent muddle? Or incompetence? Or carelessness? Or a tendentious smokescreen/opacity to benefit a Party? Or sheer arrogance that it’s above the law and accountability?" Prabhakar further questions whether the NDA's beneficiary—Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, poised for a fifth term—is "innocent and unaware" or genuinely believes the win reflects public will.

As of Thursday afternoon, the ECI had not responded to Prabhakar's specific allegations, though it recently published "Index Cards"—detailed polling station-wise data—within 72 hours of results, a first for transparency. Experts like former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi have long advocated for verifiable paper trails and real-time disclosures to bolster trust. "Discrepancies like these erode faith in the world's largest democracy," Quraishi told reporters last week amid similar concerns.

With Nitish Kumar's swearing-in likely within days, the pressure mounts on the ECI to address these voids. Failure to do so, Prabhakar warns in his finale, risks portraying the "miracle" as manufactured. As Bihar navigates coalition dynamics—JD(U) and BJP's uneasy truce holding firm—the real test may lie not in seats won, but in votes counted. For now, the numbers don't add up, and neither does the silence.