Raipur: A major controversy erupted in Chhattisgarh after the Congress and an independent candidate accused a Tehsildar of allowing unauthorised persons inside the strong room where the EVMs were kept after the polling in Dhamtari district.
Congress state unit alleging tampering in EVMs not only protested but a delegation of senior leaders, including state in charge PL Punia, state head Bhupesh Baghel, Campaign Committee chairman Charandas Mahant and others, reached the residence of Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral Officer Subrata Sahu in the evening.
The leaders, however, were told that the CEO was in his office and they headed to the office to meet him and register their complaint. “Tehsildar and three others remained in strong room for several hours with mobile phones and laptops and the CEO has sought a day’s time to look into the matter,” Punia later told reporters.
The controversy started early in the day when one Anand Pawar contesting as an Independent from Dhamtari sat on a dharna outside the strong room alleging unauthorised entry of some persons along with Tehsildar in the morning. Later the officers claimed that the Tehsildar was sent to the strong room for ensuring installation of a CCTV monitor. Pawar questioned why the officer took two patwaris with him and also did not enter details of them in the entry register.
Congress candidate Gurumukh Singh Hora also reached the spot and and asked why patwaris were allowed into the strong room.
After the second and final phase of polling concluded on Nov 20, candidates from the Congress and other parties are keeping an eye on the strong rooms. At several districts, the administration has erected a brick wall covering the gates of strong room to convey a message that tampering of EVMs was not possible.
Leader of Opposition TS Singh Deo on Monday had claimed that a team of over a dozen expert hackers had landed in Chhattisgarh to tamper with EVMs.
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