Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
EC dismisses TMC’s EVM malfunctioning allegation
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission’s special observers submitted a report on Friday that said the allegations of violence, electronic voting machine malfunctioning and dereliction of duty by central police forces made by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress were untrue, people familiar with the matter said.
In a two-page report, special observers Ajay Nayak and Vivek Dubey made a point-by-point rebuttal of each of the allegations. “All three allegations are untrue,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
A second official said that all three complaints were “wrong” and added that the commission, which includes chief election commissioner Sunil Arora and election commissioners Sushil Chandra and Rajiv Kumar, will take up the report for consideration on Saturday.
The first phase of staggered elections in West Bengal was held on March 27, while the second phase took place on April 1.
The TMC, in its complaint made on April 2, said that it received over 300 complaints of violence by members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “There has been widespread and rampant violence in the various ACs that underwent elections during Phase I and II wherein the electors were threatened, intimidated, terrorised, and beaten up by members and stooges of BJP to prevent them from casting votes in favour of the All-India Trinamool Congress,” the complaint stated.
However, the special observers have drawn attention to the voter turnout in both phases, which stood at 84% for the first phase and over 86% for the second phase. “There has been a great voter turnout, how then can there be claims of intimidation,” the first official said. The report further notes that no complaints have been received by the commission from the voters regarding the same.
In its complaint, the TMC also alleged that the Central Armed Police Forces were acting under “instructions of the Home Minister” and were a “mute spectator to the continual violence perpetrated by BJP and its goons”. The poll observers commended the work done by the central forces.
The third charge the party made was in reference to EVM glitches. The party urged the EC to check and replace EVMs, if found faulty. The special observers, in their report, rebutted the claim, stating that no complaints regarding EVM glitches were received from the voters. “No complaints of EVM malfunction have been received either,” the first official mentioned above said. “All three allegations have been countered in the report sent to the EC.”