Despite assurances from the Election Commission of India (EC) about safety of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) ahead of Counting Day on May 23, an army of EVM ‘chowkidars’ has been keeping an eye on all strongrooms in Uttar Pradesh, The Times of India has reported.
According to the report, this army includes workers and supporters of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). SP and BSP are fighting the Lok Sabha elections together in Uttar Pradesh.
The step seems to be taken in the aftermath of videos circulated on social media showing alleged movement and tampering of EVMs in Uttar Pradesh.
Supporters have been on vigil outside the strongrooms in various constituencies. Some of them are even residing in makeshift tents and have divided themselves in shifts to guard the strongrooms 24/7.
Also read | What is a strongroom? How is it secured ahead of Counting Day?
They have assigned different duties like keeping an eye on CCTV feed from outside the strongroom on their monitors, watching activities near or inside the premises through binoculars or going near the barricades from time to time using passes issued for this, said the report.
UP's Chief Electoral Officer Venkateshwarlu allayed fears of tampering of EVMs. "There are CCTV cameras installed in strong rooms. Candidates are allowed to keep a watch through their representatives. All apprehensions are unfounded," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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