EC removes 3 from election duty in UP, suspends Varanasi ADM
On the eve of the counting of votes, the Election Commission on Wednesday removed three officials from election duty in Uttar Pradesh and suspended Varanasi Additional District Magistrate Nalini Kant Singh for negligence in electronic voting machines (EVM) transportation and initiated disciplinary actions against them.
The commission has deputed Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi to Meerut and Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar to Varanasi as special observers to oversee counting arrangements amid complaints from Opposition parties about alleged irregularities in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls after an official of Varanasi publicly admitted to lapses.
“ECI has taken action against any type of breach of protocol. ECI has suspended ADM Varanasi,” senior Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said.
Disciplinary action has been initiated against the Varanasi ADM. The Varanasi ADM has also been barred from going to the counting spot. Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Sanjay Kumar has been made the nodal officer, EVMs.
Meanwhile, Additional Election Officer VK Singh was removed from the election process in Bareilly after ballot boxes and other election items were found inside a garbage collection bin of the local municipality in the Baheri area.
In Sonbhadra district, where ballot slips were recovered from a box inside the vehicle of the additional district magistrate, Ghorawal returning officer Ramesh Kumar was removed from election work. The commission has ordered disciplinary proceedings against them. The Varanasi DM said all EVMs were checked late at night in the presence of election observers and candidates after the ruckus over the alleged replacement of EVMs on Tuesday.
This comes a day after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the ruling BJP of “stealing” votes and claimed that his party workers intercepted a truck carrying EVMs in Varanasi.
He also claimed that vehicles transporting ballots were intercepted in at least three districts. On Wednesday, taking to Twitter, the party put out a video of the official admitting there were “lapses”.
The poll panel officials have already rejected allegations that EVMs used for voting in just-concluded polls were moved out.
However, Akhilesh has claimed that no information was given with regard to the transport of ballots. “If the EVMs were being transported for training, why weren’t the candidates informed? I have known this DM since he was posted in Muzaffarnagar. He is letting things happen. He will say what the party (BJP) wants him to say,” Akhilesh said, demanding action against Varanasi DM Kaushal Sharma and Commissioner.
The counting of votes for the recently-concluded Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand will begin at 8 am on Thursday. Altogether, 671 counting observers, 130 police observers, and 10 special observers will be on the ground to ensure the counting process is smooth, the commission said.
“The Commission has also deputed two special officers — CEO Delhi to Meerut and CEO Bihar to Varanasi — to supervise the counting arrangements,” it added. In the past also, electoral officers from different States were deployed as special observers, mainly to address concerns or complaints about any bias.
According to EC, more than 50,000 officials have been deployed for the counting of votes on Thursday in the five States where Assembly polls were held recently.
Nearly 1,200 counting halls have been set up where results will be recorded from electronic voting machines (EVMs). Uttar Pradesh, which has a maximum of 403 Assembly constituencies, will have more than 750 counting halls, followed by Punjab with over 200.
The EC said elaborate and foolproof arrangements have been made at all the counting centres. “All strong rooms, where polled EVMs are kept, are under three-layered security with inner cordon manned by Central Armed Forces. Concerned candidates have been watching the strong room arrangements through CCTV coverage of 24x7,” it added.