New Delhi: The Election Commission’s claim to the Supreme Court that there is no legal mandate to publish records of the total number of votes polled – noted and collected on Form 17C – has led to political parties taking note of what commentators have already flagged as a mischievous attempt to obfuscate truths by the poll body.The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, whose chief and the former chief minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren is in jail since January 31 after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a land scam case, has posted on X that the form in very important.In an address to polling booth agents, party leader and Hemant’s wife Kalpana Soren asked them to pay attention to the “small things” too.“When polling is over then Form 17C…please remember, Form 17C…has to be filled up. All details of how many people have voted are in the form. You have to take the form,” she said.Polling agents who are not here need to be told as well, she added.पोलिंग/बूथ एजेंट रखें खास ध्यानFORM 17C है बहुत जरुरी pic.twitter.com/qZNTQoWCkO— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) May 23, 2024The first part of Form 17C has a sub-head under Item 6 where the total number of votes polled is to be noted. Every EVM shows this number after the presiding officer presses the “close” button. However, the EC has not revealed absolute numbers of votes polled this election even on the eve of the sixth phase.The Supreme Court today adjourned the application seeking to direct the Election Commission to publish booth-wise absolute numbers of voter turnout and upload form 17C copies on its website.