As you know, the results of the elections of five states that were held on 10th March are about to come. But just before that Akhilesh Yadav the chief of the Samajwadi Party in UP, huge allegations have been made by them. They say that EVM fraud has happened and voting has been stolen. It is their allegation that many shortcomings were found in the transportation of EVMs. Therefore Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Vote Theft EVM In Up Election he alleged.
Akhilesh Yadav said that wherever EVM is there, the truck has been found. Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Vote Theft EVM In Up Election, means EVMs being tampered, says Akhilesh Yadav ahead of UP poll results. SP Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Election Commission is tampering with EVMs.
Note:-The Election Commission operates under the authority of the Constitution per Article 324 and subsequently enacted the Representation of the People Act.
What Has Happened in Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Vote Theft EVM In Up Election?
Ahead of the counting of votes for the Assembly elections in five states, Samajwadi Pary (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the ruling BJP of “stealing” votes and claimed that, his party workers intercepted a truck carrying EVMs in Varanasi. He also claimed that vehicles transporting ballots were intercepted in at least three districts.
While the state chief electoral officer (CEO) instead of that the “EVMs used in polling are sealed and guarded and are being observed through 24*7 monitoring” and said the EVMs were being brought in Varanasi for the training of polling officers scheduled on Wednesday.
EVM During Non-Election Period:-
All available EVMs in a district are normally stored in a treasury or a warehouse under the direct control of the District Electoral Officer. Exceptions can be made in case of unavailability of storage space, but the designed treasury or warehouse should not be below the level of the tehsil. The warehouse is secured by a double lock, guarded round the clock by policemen or security guards, and is also under CCTV surveillance.
During a non-election period, EVEms cannot be moved out of the warehouse without specific instructions from the Election Commission. The first-level check of the EVMs by engineers is done here, in the presence of representatives of political parties.
EVM DURING POLL SEASON
Closer to the election date, EVMs are randomly allocated to various Assembly segments through software in the presence of party representatives. If the representatives are absent, then a list of allocated EVMs and VVPAT machines for each Assembly segment is shared with the party office. From this point, the Returning Officer ( RO ) of the Assembly segment takes charge of the allocated machines and stores them in designated strong rooms.
Here, the second round of randomization takes place. EVMs are commissioned to specific polling stations in the presence of party representatives. In fact, candidates are advised by the Election Commission to share the machine numbers with their respective polling agents so that they can verify these before polling begins.
STRONG ROOM
After all, machines are prepared with the set of candidates and fixing of ballot papers and then commissioned, The strong room is sealed in the presence of party representatives who can, if they wish, also put their own seal on the locks. The strong room is guarded round the clock under the charge of a senior police officer, not below the rank of a Deputy SP. It can also be guarded by central police forces, wherever possible.
Once sealed, the strong room can only be opened on a fixed date and time when the machines have to be handed over to the polling parties to be delivered to their designated polling stations. All candidates and their election agents are informed beforehand about the date and time of opening of the strong rooms.
Apart from the machines allocated to specific polling stations, some reserve EVMs are also taken from the strong rooms and stored in a central place in the Assembly segment, so that defective machines can be replaced with as little delay as possible.
AFTER VOTING?
Once voting ends, EVMs are not dispatched to the strong rooms right away. The Presiding Officer is required to prepare an account of votes recorded in the machines. An attested copy of this is provided to each candidate’s polling agent. After this, the EVM is sealed. Candidates and their agents are allowed to put their signatures on the seals, which they can check for any signs of tampering.
Candidates or their representatives travel behind vehicles carrying EVMs from the polling station to the strong room. Reserve EVMs should also be returned at the same time when the polled EVMs are returned. Once all used EVMs have arrived, the strong room is sealed and the candidate or her representative is permitted to put their own seals or locks as well. They are also allowed to keep a watch on the strong rooms round the clock.
And candidates can keep watch on strong rooms. Like you must have seen on Twitter many times now. After the election of UP, many people have tweeted photos or videos keeping watch on the number of candidates.
Once sealed, the strong room cannot be opened until the morning of counting day. If the strong room has to be opened before that for an unavoidable reason, it can only be done in the presence of the candidate or his representative, who will be allowed to put their seals or locks again after the room is closed.
A video was circulating by the Samajwadi Party in which, Officials said in Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Vote Theft EVM In Up Election
In the video, an official is heard admitting a protocol lapse. ” There was a lapse in the protocol in the movement of electronic voting machines. But I can assure you that taking away voting machines is impossible. There is three-level security. There is only one entry point ( where machines are kept ) where CCTV cameras have been put. If the representatives of political parties want, they too can maintain vigil, ” Varanasi commissioner Deepak Agarwal is heard saying.
