Mumbai Congress Chief and Candidate from Mumbai South Lok Sabha Seat Milind Deora on Tuesday demanded the Election Commission to take strict steps to ensure the safety of EVMs and the strongrooms. Deora requested the Poll Commission of India to increase the vigilance, security at counting centers and EVMs strongrooms.
He said that EVM machines should not get tampered in any manner whatsoever that is why EC need to be more vigilant.
Mumbai Congress President Milind Deora writes to Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra requesting "increase of vigilance, security etc at counting centers, so that EVM machines should not get tampered in any manner whatsoever" (file pic) pic.twitter.com/hxs4NRMaVt
— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2019
In a letter to Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra, Mumbai Congress Chief said ‘It is requested that required steps should be taken to ensure safety and security of EVM in the larger interest of democracy’.
He, in a letter also said that he has received many feedback about the possibility of tampering with EVMs, which are being stored at various counting
centers currently.
He claimed that Congress party workers who are constantly keeping a tab on EVM Strongrooms have informed us about suspicious movements of few persons or few vehicles around these centers,” he added in a letter.
Mumbai Congress President @milinddeora has sent a letter to the @CEO_Maharashtra to ensure safety and security of EVM machines. pic.twitter.com/DmvGNP4hUP
— Mumbai Congress (@INCMumbai) May 21, 2019
“On behalf of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee request your good self to
kindly increase the vigilance, security, etc at these counting centers, so that EVM machines should not get tempered in any manner whatsoever so that exact result should reflect on the day of counting to provide free and fair result,” said Congress Mumbai Chief in a letter.
He also requested Poll Commission to allow volunteers to remain there outside these centers for safeguarding along with the security forces deployed there.
This comes on the backdrop when a delegation of 21 opposition parties led by Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu will meet ECI officials today.
It is expected that opposition will pitch for the demand of cross-checking VVPAT with EVMs in an entire Assembly segment, in case a discrepancy is found in any polling booth during counting.
Elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats were held between April 11 and May 19 across 7 phases of elections. The counting of votes for the mega polls is scheduled for May 23.
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