Lucknow: With reports coming from various districts of Uttar Pradesh regarding movement of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and recovery of blank postal ballots, there has been large-scale protest by opposition parties at many places.
In Varanasi, a vehicle loaded with EVMs was caught y Samajwadi Party workers on late Tuesday night. After this, hundreds of SP workers staged protest and went on rampage. The district administration of Varanasi, however clarified that the EVMs in questions were not used in polling. According to them, the EVMs found in vehicle were meant for giving training to the counting staff. Meanwhile the Varanasi commissioner did accept that candidates should have been informed about the movement of EVMs which was not been done. Later on the in charge of EVM, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Varanasi Nalinikant Singh was suspended.
In another incident, the SP workers had recovered blank postal ballots from the official’s vehicle of Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Sonbhadra district. The SDM too has been removed from the duty on the directives of election commission. In Agra, the SP workers created ruckus after they found nails and hammer from a vehicle parked outside the strong room where the EVMs have been kept. The SP Workers accused that there was a ploy to enter the strong room. In Moradabad district, the SP workers accused that around 1500 blank ballots have been found outside the proposed counting place.
Meanwhile the SP state president, Naresh Uttam has deputed senior leaders in each of the 75 districts to monitor the counting process. He has also directed party workers to remain alert and guard the counting centre. A team of two lawyers each has been deputed at every counting centre in the state by SP.
