New Delhi: On a day it dismissed allegations that the voting machines used in the Lok Sabha election were being switched with fresh ones ahead of counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission Tuesday set up a 24-hour control room here to monitor complaints relating to EVMs.
“The complaints related to storage issues at strongrooms, security of strongrooms, permissions to candidates to post their agents at strongrooms, CCTV monitoring, movement of any EVMs, and any complaints during counting related to EVMs can be informed at control room, number is 011-23052123 (with 5 hunting lines),” it said in a statement. Referring to the allegations and complaints, the commission earlier in the day said it would like to “emphatically and unambiguously” clarify that all such reports and allegations are “absolutely false and factually incorrect.”
The visuals on TV and social media “do not pertain to any EVMs used during the polls”, it said. In an earlier statement, the EC said, after the close of polls, all polled EVMs and VVPATs are brought under security cover to designated strongrooms, which are sealed with double locks in the presence of candidates and observers of the commission. The entire process of storage and sealing of the strongroom is videoed. “Continuous CCTV camera coverage is done till completion of counting. Each strongroom is guarded with round-the-clock security by Central Armed Police Forces.
