EC Sets Up Control Room for Complaints Related to EVMs in LS Polls

The complaints related to EVMs can be informed at control room, number is 011-23052123.

The Election Commission of India logo.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/ The Quint)

On a day it dismissed allegations that the voting machines used in the Lok Sabha election were being switched with fresh ones ahead of counting of votes on 23 May, the Election Commission on Tuesday, 21 May set up a 24-hour control room to monitor complaints relating to EVMs.

"The complaints related to storage issues at strongrooms, security of strongrooms, permissions to candidates to post their agents at strongrooms, CCTV monitoring, movement of any EVMs, and any complaints during counting related to EVMs can be informed at control room, number is 011-23052123 (with 5 hunting lines)," it said in a statement.

Referring to the allegations and complaints, the commission earlier in the day said it would like to “emphatically and unambiguously” clarify that all such reports and allegations are “absolutely false and factually incorrect.”

The visuals on TV and social media "do not pertain to any EVMs used during the polls", it said.

In an earlier statement, the EC said, after the close of polls, all polled EVMs and VVPATs are brought under security cover to designated strongrooms, which are sealed with double locks in the presence of candidates and observers of the commission.

The entire process of storage and sealing of the strongroom is videoed.