Samajwadi Party tweets video of official admitting to lapse in EVM protocol ahead of UP poll results

Mangalore Today News Network

Varanasi, Mar 09, 2022: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Tuesday that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were moved illegally in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi ahead of the counting of votes which will take place on March 10.

 

Backing up the claim, the party tweeted a video on Wednesday morning in which Varanasi’s Commissioner Deepak Agarwal appears to be telling reporters that there was, indeed, a lapse in protocol in the movement of EVMs. He quickly added, however, that the machines concerned were only those used for training.

He said, "If you talk about the protocol for the movement of EVMs, there was a lapse in the protocol, I accept that. But I can guarantee that it is impossible to take away machines used in voting. There is three-grade security. Political party workers can even sit outside the centres to keep an eye.”

In its tweet, the Samajwadi Party claimed that reports of EVM tampering were coming from many districts in the state.

 

EVM मूवमेंट में चुनाव आयोग के प्रोटोकॉल का पालन नहीं किया गया- कमिश्नर वाराणसी

कई जिलों में ईवीएम में हेरा-फेरी की जानकारी प्राप्त हो रही है। ये किसके इशारे पर हो रहा है? क्या अधिकारियों पर सीएम ऑफिस से दबाव बनाया जा रहा है?

चुनाव आयोग कृपया स्पष्ट करे @ECISVEEP @ceoup pic.twitter.com/D71xr8h8Tu

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) March 9, 2022

“At whose behest is this happening? Are officers being pressurised by the Chief Minister’s Office? Election Commission, please clarify,” the party wrote.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav accused Election Commission officials of tampering with the EVMs and said that he no longer trusts the poll body.

The SP chief alleged that the Varanasi District Magistrate (DM) was transporting EVMs without giving any information to local candidates and urged the EC to 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 democracy,” he said.

He also alleged that officials had been given orders to slow down the counting of votes in places where the BJP’s chances were slim.

The BJP has denied all allegations made by the Samajwadi Party.

The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh election was held in February and March. The votes will be counted on March 10.

Exit polls have predicted that the BJP will retain power in the state.

Courtesy:India Today