advertisement
The Election Commission has suspended a sector officer in West Bengal’s Howrah district after the latter – who was in possession of a reserve electronic voting machine (EVM) – spent a night at the residence of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, reported news agency ANI.
While the commission says that the “intactness of all seals” have been checked and the said EVMs and VVPATs have been taken out of service, it has assured of ‘severe action’ against all involved in the incident.
WHO’S THE OFFICER?
Tapan Sarkar, sector officer of Sector 17 in AC 177 Uluberia Uttar at Howrah district, who had a reserve EVM with him, stayed over at a relative’s house, who happened to be a TMC leader.
According to Ritika Chopra, who reports for The Indian Express, the TMC leader in question is Goutam Ghosh.
Two other sector officers, Sanjib Majumdar and Mithun Chakraborty, were also suspended for gross violation of ECI guidelines, the District Magistrate told ANI.
WHAT IS THE EC SAYING?
Earlier on 2 April, the Election Commission ordered fresh voting at a polling station falling under Assam’s Ratabari constituency, after officers were reportedly found transporting an EVM in a vehicle registered with a BJP candidate’s name.
Calling it a “violation of transport protocol”, the EC had suspended the Presiding Officer, along with three others.
Reacting to the incident, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that it had ‘exposed’ yet another attempt by the TMC, while adding that the matter “may be bigger than it seems.”
According to news agency ANI, Javadekar also called for a ‘full inquiry’ of these machines.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)