The counting for Assembly elections in five states that are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand, is scheduled for March 10. The exit polls have shown Bharatiya Janata Party winning the UP elections comfortably, which has triggered the opposition parties. As always, the leaders of the opposition parties have raised the EVM bogey to hide their inability to win elections.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, called the reports of EVM mishandling serious. He said, “The reports of EVM mishandling are very serious. If EVMs are being found in Garbage trucks, what does that say about the state of our electoral democracy? Does the EC have any answers? Has it become an extended arm of the BJP govt?”
The reports of EVM mishandling are very serious.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) March 9, 2022
If EVMs are being found in Garbage trucks, what does that say about the state of our electoral democracy?
Does the EC have any answers? Has it become an extended arm of the BJP govt?
He was referring to the incident where Samajwadi Party workers have alleged EVMs were being shifted from a strong room in Varanasi. In reality, those EVMs were not used in polls and were marked for training purposes. Before counting, Election Commission trains the counting officials how to check and record the votes on EVM machines. The machines that were “captured” by the SP workers had a clear mention on them that they were for training purposes, and it was clarified by the District Magistrate of Varanasi as well.
There’s a strong room here. Polled EVMs are kept there, barricading done, there is no reason to breach the barricading. There are other strong rooms & godowns for other EVMs (meant for training). Both sets of EVMs are not connected to each other, it’s being clarified: Varanasi DM pic.twitter.com/FAI74F0kws
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 8, 2022
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “Varanasi DM is transporting EVMs without giving any information to local candidates. EC should look into it. We need to be alert if EVMs are being transported this way. This is theft. We need to save our votes. We may go to court against it but before that, I want to appeal to people to save the democracy.”
“We need to be alert if EVMs are being transported this way. This is theft. We need to save our votes. We may go to court against it but before that, I want to appeal to people to save the democracy,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said pic.twitter.com/FyLE0ywZgp
— ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2022
SP Maurya, SP, alleged EVMs were found outside strong rooms. He said, “EVM machines were found outside the strong room in Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Bareilly & Unnao. This raises questions on respective dist. administrations. If any EVM needs to be transported, it’s done in presence of all stakeholders. I urge EC to take action.”
EVM machines were found outside the strong room in Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Bareilly & Unnao. This raises questions on respective dist. administrations. If any EVM needs to be transported, it’s done in presence of all stakeholders. I urge EC to take action: SP Maurya, Samajwadi Party pic.twitter.com/a24Bk43Y8M
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 9, 2022
RJD Uttar Pradesh claimed if people are scared of foul play in EVMs, there must be something substantial as such reports were not coming from Punjab.
क्या गैर/भाजपा शासित राज्यों के चुनावों में कभी इस तरह ख़बर आई है? पंजाब से इस तरह की ख़बर क्यों नहीं आ रही है? वहाँ क्यों नहीं ईवीएम या बैलेट कूड़े में मिल रहा है?
— RJD Uttarpradesh (@RJDUttarPradesh) March 8, 2022
3/3@CHARANJITCHANNI @INCPunjab @IYCPunjab @NSUIPunjab @priyankagandhi @pankhuripathak @AlamTauquirJNU @vidyarthee
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “This EVM being moved from an election sensitive state for training in another state is a bit far fetched and hard to believe! Why would ECI at a time when state results are awaited want to move machines from that state only? Winning or losing aside, it is a matter of concern!”
This EVM being moved from an election sensitive state for training in another state is a bit far fetched and hard to believe! Why would ECI at a time when state results are awaited want to move machines from that state only?
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) March 9, 2022
Winning or losing aside, it is a matter of concern!
Mukul Wasnik, General Secretary, Congress, shared a video of SP workers hijacking a small truck that was transferring EVMs marked for training purposes and said, “It’s a free for all in Modi Regime it seems. EVM machines being flaunted like trophies after election in Uttar Pradesh.”
Its a free for all in Modi Regime it seems.#EVM machines being flaunted like trophies after election in Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/H70CrEDaGU
— Mukul Wasnik (@MukulWasnik) March 9, 2022
The training for poll counting
According to information available on ECI’s website, the EVMs and VVPATs used for training purposes are added to the poll day reserve. That means these machines cannot be used unless the polling has been done at all centres. Once the polling is done, ECI provides training to the officials so that they are aware of the process of counting votes on EVM machines. When required, a set of rules are followed to take out the EVMs and VVPATs marked for training purposes from the strong room. ECI clearly mentions that these machines must be marked with a specific sticker that says the machines are for training purposes only.
