Featured Image Credits: ANI
Controversy erupted in West Bengal with Phase 3 polling of the state assembly elections being held on Tuesday (6 April), when EVM and VVPAT machines were found at a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader’s residence in Uluberia Uttar of Howrah district.
The machine was found at TMC leader Gautam Ghosh’s residence in Tulsiberia.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) said that it was a reserved EVM that was taken and added that the Sector Officer has been suspended.
Sector Officer has been suspended. It was a reserved EVM that has been removed from the election process. Severe action will be taken against all involved: Election Commission of India (ECI)
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2021
EVMs and VVPATs were found at the residence of a TMC leader in Uluberia, West Bengal pic.twitter.com/IBFwmDSXeY
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested against the TMC and demanded action against Gautam Ghosh. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar responded to the development and demanded a full inquiry.
It's more serious because today is voting. EC has taken action not to use those machines & suspend the officer. But this may be a bigger thing than it seems. So we demand that there should be full inquiry of these VVPATs & EVMs found in his house: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2021
Chiran Bera, the BJP candidate from Uluberia Uttar, said that the TMC is resorting to electoral interference to disrupt the democratic exercise. When locals learned about the development, they gheraoed the Sector Officer. Security personnel present at the polling booth resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protesting crowd.
When further probed, the Sector Officer said that he was unaware how the machine was moved out from the polling booth and said, “Assistant sector officer Ranjeet Majumdar was not present at the polling booth when the incident took place. The machine was probably taken out when security personnel were asleep.”
Right now, polling is underway in the third phase, covering 31 seats of the West Bengal legislative assembly.
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