Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress candidate from Rajnandgaon Bhupesh Baghel raised the issue of discrepancies in the serial numbers of electronic voting machines (EVMs), control units and VVPATs and said the machines were replaced after the elections in the constituency. Emphasising the seriousness of the matter, Bhupesh Baghel raised questions as to under what circumstances the machines were replaced.
Bhupesh Baghel said in a post on Twitter, “The Election Commission had given the numbers of the machines used in the elections. This includes ballot unit, control unit and VVPAT. In my constituency Rajnandgaon, as per the information given in Form 17C after voting, the numbers of many machines have changed. The booths where the numbers have been changed affect thousands of votes.”
The former Chhattisgarh chief minister said, “Similar complaints have been received from several other Lok Sabha constituencies. We are complaining to the state election officer. @ECISVEEP must explain under what circumstances the machines were changed and who will be responsible for any impact on the election result? The list of changed numbers is very long, but a short list is enclosed for your perusal.”
These allegations come a day ahead of the results of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) set to begin counting of votes on Tuesday.
Leaders of the opposition Bharatiya Bloc have raised several questions over the election process and alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was misusing its power to influence the results of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
On Sunday, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Union minister Amit Shah has called 150 district magistrates across the country after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were over. “So far he has spoken to 150 of them. This is a clear and brazen threat that shows how desperate the BJP is. It is quite clear: the will of the people will prevail and on June 4, Mr Modi, Mr Shah and the BJP will be out and Bharat Janabandhan will emerge victorious. Officials must not succumb to any pressure and must uphold the Constitution. They are being monitored,” Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reacted sharply to Jairam Ramesh’s remarks and said that ‘spreading rumours is not right.’ The Election Commission also sought detailed information from the Congress leader on his serious allegations.
“Can anybody influence them (district magistrate/returning officer)? Tell us who did it. We will punish the person who did it… It is not right that you spread rumours and suspect everyone,” the CEC said at a press conference.
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Published: June 03, 2024, 10:21 PM IST
