Amid concerns raised by the Congress and other political parties over the security of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), the Election Commission (EC) has admitted that the CCTV cameras installed at an EVM strongroom in Madhya Pradesh did not work for over an hour on Friday (November 30).
According to reports, the CCTV cameras installed in the strongroom did not function for over an hour due to an unprecedented power cut on Friday. Fearing tampering of the machines, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers had been patrolling the strongroom in old Bhopal jail since Friday in shifts. In another incident that has raised suspicion over the fair nature of polls, EVMs were found in a hotel allegedly belonging to a BJP supporter in Shajapur, a day before polling in MP.
Taking note of the political parties’ allegations, the EC in its statement said, “A report obtained from the Bhopal Collector states that CCTV cameras and an LED display installed outside the strongroom did not function from 8.19 am to 9.35 am on November 30 due to the failure of electricity supply. Because of this, the recording could not be done during the given time period. An additional LED screen, an inverter and a generator have been installed in order to ensure continuous electricity supply.”
The EC said that the cameras of the outside door of the strongroom and the premises are working. “The strongroom is fully secure with two cordons of CAPF and SAF forces been deployed. Logbook by the security forces is being maintained and the machines are perfectly safe,” it said.
On Saturday, the Congress delegation met the EC and raised concern over the security of EVMs inside strongrooms and their handling during the counting process in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the alleged deletion of voters in Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress in its complaint stated that the camera installed up to strongroom was switched off from 8 am to 9.30 am whereas there was no electricity disturbance. Along with this it was also complained that behind the strongroom of the old jail, there is a door which was not blocked and which has been closed after the complaint. It was also alleged that the personnel deployed there gave a statement to the electronic media that that camera were shut off in the presence of collector/SP. A similar complaint was made by the AAP. Madhya Pradesh Congress unit president Kamal Nath appealed to his party candidates to monitor the EVMs till December 11, the day poll results will be declared.
On the incident where EVMs were found in a hotel allegedly belonging to a BJP supporter in Shajapur, a day before polling took place in MP, the EC confirmed that a team of poll officials had checked into the hotel room, against the instructions of the commission. It said that the officials had been replaced and no evidence of tampering was found in the machines. Two officials have been suspended in the incident.
The EC also confirmed that the machines were not used in polling.
On the delay submission of the reserved EVM-VVPAT machines in the strongroom of 36 Assembly constituency Khurai, the EC said the machines were of the reserve category and were meant to be back-up. However, the poll body said that the official responsible for delivering the reserve machines on time had been suspended.
“There has not been any tampering whatsoever with the machines. The responsible Nayab Tehsildar Rajesh Mehra has been suspended for the delayed submission of the machines,” the EC said in the statement. The Congress has alleged that 48 hours after the closing of polls in Madhya Pradesh, a school bus bearing no number plate and carrying EVMs reached the Sagar district Collector’s office.
Taking of note of the Congress complaint, the EC said that the Collector Sagar, clarified that the reserve machines (26 CUs, 48 Bus and 44 VVPATs) were deposited on November 27 by the returning officer at Khurai, Malthon and Bandari police stations to be used as per the requirement and instructions were given to the returning officers and the Nayab Tasildar to deposit the unused reserved machine in the strongroom after the completion of the polling but the same was brought back them by late November 30 at the headquarters.
On Friday, a few Congress and BSP workers protested outside the strongroom in Satna after a viral video showed an unknown person taking a carton inside the highly protected area.