BHUBANESWAR: Alleging that cameras for web casting were not installed in a single booth of Balasore district violating the circular issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Congress on Tuesday demanded stringent action against the district administration.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), a delegation of Congress leaders comprising vice-president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Shivananda Ray, chairman of media department Satya Prakash Nayak, spokespersons Jagneswar Babu and Nishikanta Mishra said the circular of ECI stated that web casting cameras should be installed in at least 10 per cent polling booths for a free and fair election.

The memorandum alleged that though glitches in EVMs and VVPATs were reported from across the State, no action has been taken so far by the returning and presiding officers.

As the inaction of the returning and presiding officers has raised questions regarding a free and fair election, the Election Commission should take note of these incidents and take corrective steps. “The Commission must take cognisance of the disrupting affect because of the malfunctioning of EVMs and VVPATs and take immediate action,” the delegation added.

Alleging malfunctioning of EVMs and VVPATs delayed the polling process in many areas of the State, the Congress delegation alleged that this gave workers of the ruling BJD to capture booths for rigging of votes. There were numerous complaints from voters across the State as to how VVPAT machines stopped during polling which disrupted the process, the memorandum added.

Polling in the booths where EVMs and VVPATs malfunctioned should be declared null and void and fresh polls should be ordered in all such places, the memorandum said and added that immediate action should be taken on all such complaints.

Stating that ruling BJD workers resorted to largescale violence during the fourth phase polls on April 29, the delegation also referred to the brutal murder of a Congress worker in Paradip.