Congress alleges serious discrepancies in EVMs, Strong rooms in Assam

Ripun Bora urged to probe into the matter demanding the counting of VVPAT in respect of the polling stations

Time8 Webdesk
April 29, 2021
8:53 pm

Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner alleged serious discrepancies in respect of the safety of strong rooms, EVM control unit in different LACs in the recently concluded Assam Legislative Assembly election 2021.

Seeking immediate attention on the issue, Bora wrote to CEC claiming about the discrepancies which have been noticed by APCC contesting candidates in respect of the safety of strong rooms, EVMs in Dhakuakhana LAC, Moran, Lahowal, Dibrugarh, Chabua LACs under Dibrugarh district and the strong room of four LACs of Goalpara district.

APCC president Ripun Bora said, “Indian National Congress (INC) candidate of Dhakuakhana LAC filed a complaint before the returning officer that recently the tags/slips bearing the number of ballot unit, control unit and VVPAT in respect of 144 Mohtali LP School polling station and 180 No. 13 Bamtow LP school polling station were found by our Congress workers near the strong room of Dhakuakhana LAC. The tags/slips have been verified with form no. 17C and it was confirmed that the said slips belong to the EVM of the above mentioned 2 polling stations.”

Similarly, INC candidates of Moran, Lahowal, Dibrugarh and Chabua LACs of Dibrugarh district filed complaint petition before the Deputy Commissioner/District Election Officer raising a very serious matter of not matching the ID number of EVM, Control unit, Ballot unit and VVPAT with the form no. 17C.

“The ID numbers of ballot unit, control unit and VVPAT what were given to the contesting candidates before the poll has not matched with the ID numbers at form number 17C which were given by the presiding officer at the end of the poll in respect of 13 polling stations of Moran LAC, 10 polling stations of Lahowal LAC, 18 polling stations of Dibrugarh LAC and 2 polling stations of Chabua LAC,” added Ripun Bora.

Ripun Bora in his letter alleged that the returning officer of Dibrugarh district had so far not clarified the matter to the contesting candidates in response to their application. He also urged to probe into the matter demanding the counting of VVPAT in respect of the polling stations mentioned by the contesting INC candidates in their application to the returning officer.

Further alleging about the laps in the security and safety of the strong rooms in Goalpara District, Bora informed the CEC that four INC contesting candidates from Goalpara west, Jaleswar and Dudhnoi LAC filed a joint petition before the Deputy Commissioner/District Election Officer of Goalpara district raising serious allegations on laps in the safety if the strong room.

“An FIR was also filed to the police by the contesting candidates against three people for their suspicious movement at the premises of the strong rooms, accordingly, the matter brought into the light of Deputy Commissioner. But neither the DC nor the police instead of enquiring the matter advised the three persons to file counter FIR against the contesting candidates,” added Ripun Bora.

Furthermore, raising doubt on the integrity and credibility of the team/vendor on whom the authority has given the responsibility of the day to day maintenance of the CC camera unit, Bora informed that another complaint petition was filed by the four INC candidates to the DC Goalpara describing the incidents and the points of doubt.