An economist at SBI, Soumya Kanti Ghosh, dismissed concerns about low voter turnout in the first two phases of the 2024 general elections, labeling them as a "myth." He suggested that analyzing the absolute number of votes cast provides a better measure of turnout. Ghosh noted a 0.4 percent increase in the absolute number of votes cast in the initial phases. While acknowledging a 3.1 percentage point deviation from the 2019 voting trend, Ghosh predicted a potential "J-shaped" growth in the remaining phases.