Digital Desk: The Election Commission (EC) has suspended Varanasi Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Nalini Kant Singh, a day after Samajwadi Party (SP) President
Akhilesh Yadav accused EVM tampering in Varanasi.
Singh, who had been in charge of the EVMs, has been removed from the position of nodal officer, and the EC has ordered that he be relieved of all election-related duties.
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"On 08.03.2022, without sharing the movement plan of EVM to the District Election Officer, Deputy District Election Officer and political parties, 20 EVMs were sent from EVM warehouse to Uday Pratap College. All these machines were to be sent on the morning of 09.03.2022 after sharing the movement plan with political parties. Due to this negligence, there was a lot of confusion among the candidates of Varanasi, in controlling which the image of the district has been seriously tarnished," a notice from the district magistrate said.
According to ANI, the Election Commission also stated that certain rumours about EVMS had been spread, and that action would be taken against those who spread the rumours.
On Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the Varanasi ADM was transporting EVMs without informing local candidates, and he urged the EC to investigate.
"The news of EVM being caught in Varanasi is giving a message to every assembly of UP to be alert. All the candidates and supporters of SP-alliance should be ready with their cameras to thwart the attempt of rigging in the counting of votes. To protect youth democracy and future, become soldiers in counting of votes," the SP chief had said.
We need to be alert if EVMs are being transported this way. This is theft. We need to save our votes. We may go to court against it but before that, I want to appeal to people to save the democracy," Yadav had said.
This comes merely hours before the counting of votes begins for UP Assembly elections at 8 am on Thursday.
According to allegations advanced by Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Aftab Alam, two ballot papers were recovered from a record keeper inside the counting site located at HRPG college in UP's Sant Kabir Nagar.
Alam has asked the Election Commission to look into the matter.
Divya Mittal, the district magistrate of Sant Kabir Nagar, stated that the unused ballot papers were left behind due to an error, and that a FIR has been filed in the matter.
"Two ballot papers to be put in the EVM machine were found in the register of Khilalabad lands records officer Nagendra Singh. An FIR has been registered against him. He has been suspended with immediate effect and a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of ADM (J) to investigate the matter," the DM said.
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