Outside Punjab’s EVM strongrooms, an AAP security layer

WHILE IT awaits an electoral verdict that it believes will give it more than a foothold in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party is taking no chances in the state. Claiming that the Electronic Voting Machines may be tampered with, the party has deputed its volunteers to zealously guard EVM strongrooms across the state.

At the Government Physical Education College in Patiala, where EVMS from the Patiala Rural and Nabha assembly constituencies are stored, the party has pitched a tent, a rudimentary picket of sorts, adding a fourth unofficial layer of security to the three provided by the Central Reserve Police Force and the Punjab Police.

The tent, outside the college gymnasium, is manned by AAP members, who take turns to keep an eye on two LCD screens with live feeds of the CCTV cameras placed inside and outside of the strongrooms. The EC was forced to put up the LCD screens after AAP created a furore over to the shifting of trunks containing old EVMS on February 13.

The duty is taken very seriously, says Gurman Tiwana, an AAP volunteer from Nabha. “Six to seven of us stay here during the day while there are four at night,” Gurman says. The volunteers come from nearby assembly constituencies and are nominated by the party’s circle heads. They are served food which is paid for from party funds that will eventually get added to the candidates’ electoral expenses.

In the tent, which is made of a few plastic sheets, the men huddle around three folding beds, with blankets and quilts for respite from the cold, and say they often resort to singing ‘inspirational’ songs to keep themselves motivated.

They also say they have stepped up their vigil since February 13, when the party’s Nabha candidate, Gurdev Singh Dev Mann, refused to accept the administration’s explanation that the EVMS being moved had been used for the 2015 municipal polls. V K Singh, chief electoral officer, Punjab, had launched an investigation after party chief Arvind Kejriwal tweeted on the issue.

It was only after CCTV footage of the strongrooms, located on the first floor of the gymnasium hall, clearly showed that no one had even come near the EVMS that the AAP candidate finally expressed satisfaction. A two-member EC inquiry panel, set up after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, had lodged a complaint with the election body in New Delhi, also gave a clean chit to the Patiala district administration.

Punjab CEO V K Singh says concessions have been made to assuage the AAP fears. “There are two separate strong rooms for the two constituencies of Nabha and Patiala (rural). Each strong rooms has a seal put up by the candidate too. There is an outer gate at the strong room where we have allowed the AAP candidate to put his own lock, even though rules do not permit this. A CRPF jawan stands guard outside this gate at all times and then there are two more layers of security outside the building which are of the Punjab Police,” he says, a bit exasperated. Nearly 25 CRPF jawans, and 30 Punjab Police personnel guard the building at all times and are all under CCTV scrutiny.

Singh explains that the EVMS themselves have been sealed with the signature of the candidates or their agents. “This seal comes from the government security press and its number is available with the candidates too. When counting begins, this number has to tally with the machine being opened and hence there is no way a machine can be replaced,” he adds.

None of the other political parties, however, appear to share the AAP concern over the EVMS, “They are not bothered because they are down and out. But we need to be careful,” says Amarjeet Singh Kahlwan, a 60year-old AAP volunteer.

Harmeet Sodhi AAP camp outside Physical College in Patiala, where EVMS are stored.