The EC said that the staff – presiding official Only later did Sahab Uddin Talukdar and three others find out who the car belonged to, but were acted against for violating rules intended to protect the sanctity of EVMs.
The EVMs surveyed were found intact, but the EC ordered a re-counting be done at the voting booth in question in Ratabari (SC) “as an additional precaution”.
Based on a report received from the special observer recommending action against the armed escort officer for leaving the stranded electoral party behind and not guaranteeing his safe arrival at the destination, the EC also ordered the suspension of the armed escort officer Luhit Gohai and the Deputy Inspector of Police (armed branch) of the 3rd Assam Police Battalion, Titabor.
The special observer, however, said that there appeared to be no reason for the change of the Ratabari (SC) counting officer as the incident appeared to be isolated, caused by “total negligence and foolishness of the president and his team.” The report also ruled out any deliberate or bad faith intentions in the incident, with the aim of disrupting the voting process.
Notice of good cause for violation of transportation protocol has been issued to the presiding officer.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka gandhi Vadra criticized the EC and questioned the “coincidence” that the stranded electoral party found a vehicle of the BJP candidate to take it away.
The EC said that the electoral party, after the completion of Thursday’s elections, was returning in a convoy escorted by an armed escort led by police officer Luhit Gohain. The vehicle broke down around 9 pm as it approached Nilam Bazaar. Due to traffic congestion and inclement weather, the electoral party separated from the convoy. The group got out of the vehicle and reported by phone to Sector Officer Ajoy Sutradhar. While the sector official was fixing another vehicle, the voting station decided to organize a vehicle of its own to get to the material reception center faster.
At approximately 9.20pm, the voting party called a passing vehicle and accosted it along with the EVM and other material, without verifying ownership of the vehicle. As reported by the electoral party, they headed towards Karimganj and when they reached Kanaishil around 10 pm, they had to slow down in traffic. At this point, they were surrounded by a mob of about 50 people who began to throw stones at them and did not let the vehicle pass. When asked, one person replied that it was the vehicle of Krishnendu Paul, a candidate from the neighboring constituency (Patharkandi LAC-2) and claimed that the EVM was being manipulated.
The EC said it was only then that the electoral party realized that something was wrong and alerted the sector official. However, a larger crowd gathered by then and the electoral party was attacked and taken hostage along with the EVM.
Meanwhile, the background of the vehicle was determined and it was found that it was registered to Madhumita Paul, wife of the BJP candidate in Patharkandi.
The mob, the EC said, had become violent and damaged the car’s windshield with stones. During the course of the stone throwing, SP Karimganj sustained minor injuries to the clavicle and had to be fired on target to disperse the mob. The first polling officer was found missing amid the commotion. The EVMs surveyed, along with the rest of the voting party, were safely escorted out of the area and placed under the control of the district election officials at 10.20pm.
“On examination, the surveyed EVM comprising BU, CU and VVPAT was found to be with its seal intact without any damage. All the articles have been deposited in the strong chamber ”, said the EC.
The first voting officer was missing until the wee hours of the morning Friday while hiding in nearby brush. This delayed the transmission of a report to the EC for a few hours.
Priyanka Gandhi later tweeted: “Every time there is an election, videos of trapped private vehicles transporting EVMs appear. Unsurprisingly, they have the following things in common: Vehicles generally belong to BJP candidates or their associates, videos are taken as one-time incidents and dismissed as aberrations, BJP uses its media machinery to accuse those who exposed the videos Like sore losers The EC must begin to act decisively on these complaints and all national parties must carry out a serious reassessment of the use of EVM ”.
BJP leader Jitendra Singh said: “Congress and its mahajot are pursuing an issue that is not a problem. They are facing imminent defeat in Assam. ”A BJP delegation went to the EC in the evening complaining of bad practices by rivals in West Bengal and Assam.
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