Row over shifting of EVMs in Patiala, AAP alleges foul play

Gagan K. Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 13

The move of the district administration on Monday to shift some EVMs — apparently used in the civic body polls — snowballed into a major controversy with the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party alleging foul play.

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While the administrative authorities claimed that the EVMs being shifted from a local college were the old ones and not those used in the recently-held Assembly elections, the AAP leaders expressed apprehension of tampering with EVMs. 

Around Noon, AAP candidate from Nabha Gurdev Singh Dev Mann reached Government College of Physical Education, Patiala, after he received a call from the office of the returning officer that they wanted to shift certain documents related to the Panchayat Department.

Later, AAP candidate from Patiala Rural Karanvir Singh Tiwana also reached the spot as the EVMs for Nabha and Patiala (Rural) assembly segments have been kept in the college.

Mann got suspicious and raised objection when he saw over three-dozen trunks being moved outside. After trunks were opened on his insistence, Mann said he found EVMs. He got the process stopped and brought the matter into the notice of District Election Officer Ramvir Singh. 

Soon, two more candidates of AAP from Patiala district — Dr Balbir Singh and Jagtar Singh Rajla also reached the spot.

Even though the authorities claimed that these were the decade-old EVMs used in municipal corporation elections and were being shifted from the storeroom to make space for counting agents and the media for the counting day, AAP alleged that the authorities were trying to help the ruling SAD-BJP combine in some way.

Talking to The Tribune, Dev Mann said, “If they were shifting old EVMs why didn't they inform me at first place.”

They misguided me that they were shifting documents and had I not insisted on getting the trunks opened, I would not have come to know about EVMs,” Mann said.

“When I asked the DC, he claimed that there was a misunderstanding and the EVMs were being shifted for preparation of the Patiala municipal corporation polls to be held in May-June. Even if these were old EVMs as they claim, what was the urgency of shifting these before the counting,” he asked. 

Ruling out any foul play, Patiala DC Ramvir Singh said as all the candidates were given a prior notice and the shifting was done in the presence of representatives of all political parties.

“Moreover, these machines are of a different make than the ones used in the Assembly polls. The strongrooms in which EVMs from both the constituencies have been kept are on the first floor of the building. The strongrooms are sealed and live CCTV footage can be seen on a monitor put up outside. The issue is being deliberately blown out of proportions,” the DC added.  

Meanwhile, Dr Balbir Singh demanded from the Election Commission that the officials allegedly involved in this incident should be immediately suspended. He said now they will be personally guarding the locks at the strongrooms throughout the state.

Explanation sought from DEO

On the complaint of AAP leadership, the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, has sought explanation from the District Election Officer. In his reply, the DEO said after the complaint was made, the strong was visited jointly by the DEO and ADEO in the presence of Dev Mann.

“After checking the details of the carrying cases, EVMs and the address tags, it was established that the EVMs were ECIL make of 2001, 2006 and 2007 which had been used in the MC elections in 2015 and the step was taken to make room for the counting agents for the day of counting,” the DEO replied.

Admn not serious on EVM security: Hoshiarpur AAP candidate

AAP candidate from Hoshiarpur assembly segment, Paramjit Sachdeva has accused the administration of being lax on the security of strongrooms where EVMs have been kept.

At the college where the EVMs of Hoshiarpur and Dasuya Assembly segments were kept, the security arrangements were not up to the mark, he claimed in a statement.

Sachdeva alleged that anyone could easily reach the strongroom by crossing the security circles.

He claimed that a strongroom should, as per rules and directives of ECI, have one door only but “it has two doors and those too were not sealed”.

“The CCTV cameras were installed after a lot of insistence, but these too don’t offer the complete view. It shows that the administration was still acting under the pressure of the ruling parties,” alleged Sachdeva.

He demanded that ECI should intervene to make the security at the strongroom foolproof. — With inputs by Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi in Hoshiarpur