Varanasi official suspended over EVM protocol

EC deputes senior officers to oversee counting in Uttar Pradesh

The Election Commission of India (EC) ordered action against an “erring official” in Varanasi for not following the protocol for transporting electronic voting machines (EVM), an EC official said on Wednesday, a day after the Samajwadi Party (SP) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of sabotaging the mandate after its workers intercepted a truck carrying EVMs.

The EC official said Varanasi Additional District Magistrate N. K. Singh had been suspended by the Uttar Pradesh Government on the directions of the EC, as political parties’ representatives were not informed of the movement of EVMs, as per rules. The EC, however, maintained that the EVMs in question were not the ones used in the Assembly elections. On Tuesday, the U.P. Chief Electoral Officer’s office had said in a statement that the EVMs were being transported for a training session.

In a statement on Wednesday, the EC said: “There has been some rumours related to EVMs etc., which are totally unrelated to polled EVMs and in each case of slightest breach of protocol, swift action has been taken by the Commission against the concerned officers. No person should indulge in any rumour mongering or spreading wrongful information. Commission has directed CEOs and District Administration to take strictest legal action against such mongers and mischief (sic).”

On the eve of counting of votes in five States, the EC decided to depute Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh to Meerut and Bihar Chief Electoral Officer H. R. Srinivasa to Varanasi, but did not specify a reason for the same.

The EC’s statement said 671 counting observers, 130 police observers and 10 special observers would be deployed during counting of votes in 690 Assembly seats of U.P., Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand, and the byelection to Majuli in Assam.

“Commission has also deputed two special officers — Chief Electoral Officer Delhi to Meerut and Chief Electoral Officer Bihar to Varanasi to supervise the counting arrangements,” the EC said.