A delegation of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) coordination committee on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission on the alleged opening of the strongroom containing sealed EVMs pertaining to Vikarabad Assembly Constituency by the District Election Officer on February 1.
Led by committee chairman M. Shashidhar Reddy, the delegation comprised former MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy, Chevella MLA P. Rohith Reddy, former minister G. Prasad Kumar, former legislator K. Srisailam Goud and others went to the Chief Electoral Office here and lodged the complaint.
In a three-page complaint, Mr. Prasad Kumar, who lost the recent Assembly election from Vikarabad (SC) by 3,092 votes to M. Anand of TRS alleged that District Collector of Vikarabad, who is also the District Election Officer and Returning Officer of the constituency, who is also the Revenue Divisional Officer there, had allegedly opened the strongroom, where the electronic voting machines (EVMs) of Vikarabad constituency were stored, on February 1 without permission from the Election Commission.
He further alleged that the District Collector and RDO had opened the strongroom and also opened the seal on 122 EVMs stating that the machines were required to be used in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The officials did not inform the candidates who contested the election .
The officials had only informed the local leaders of the parties but they were not allowed inside when they had opened the strongroom around noon on Friday on the pretext of resetting the EVMs for using them in the coming Lok Sabha elections, ignoring the objections raised by local Youth Congress leader B. Rajashekhar Reddy and others.
Mr. Prasad Kumar demanded that the Election Commission place both the District Collector and the RDO involved in the illegal act under suspension and order an inquiry.