UP Polls: EC suspends Varanasi ADM amid controversy over EVMs
Premium- The action comes just a day after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged ‘tampering with electronic voting machines’
Varanasi ADM suspended: Amid controversy over alleged violation of rules in the transportation of training electronic voting machines (EVM), the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday suspended Varanasi Additional District Magistrate NK Singh, according to ANI.
"ECI has taken action against any type of breach of protocol. ECI has suspended ADM Varanasi," Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said.
Earlier in the day, the commission had ordered action against the officer.
The action comes just a day after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged "tampering with electronic voting machines" saying BJP was scared as his party was winning Ayodhya. He also urged the Election Commission to look into the issue.
"Samajwadi Party is winning Ayodhya that is why BJP is scared. Election Commission officials tampering with EVMs," he claimed at a press conference. Yadav also alleged that EVMs had been transported in Varanasi without information to local candidates.
According to PTI, the EC has also pulled out three officers from election duty – the nodal officer for EVMs in Varanasi, a returning officer (RO) in Sonbhadra district and an additional election officer in Bareilly district.
Today, the EC informed that 130 Police Observers, 10 special observers have been deputed. “EVMs are kept under 3-layer security, under 24×7 CCTV supervision. Serial number of each EVM has been shared with political parties," it said.
In Uttar Pradesh, elections were held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on March 10.
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