GUWAHATI: Kamrup Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kumar Baishya cleared the air on Monday that there was no foul play in the transportation of EVMs and VVPATs to Amingaon from Tezpur on Sunday. The deputy commissioner had to clear the air as the Congress had ‘painted a grim picture’ of the EVM movement.
DC Kamal Kumar Baishya, who is the district election officer, said: “The central warehouse for EVMs and VVPATs has been set up at Amingaon near Guwahati. The EVMs and VVPATs transported to Amingaon on Sunday were unused ones. From here these EVMs and VVPATs will be sent to other places, based on requirements. The malfunctioning EVMs and VVPATs will be sent to Hyderabad for repair. There’s no foul play in the transportation of EVMs and VVPATs as alleged by the Congress.”
Earlier in the day, the situation in Assam was volatile when the Congress brought to light, what it said, suspicious transportation of EVMs and VVPATs from Tezpur to Amingaon. The Opposition party reeked of foul play in the entire matter.
Talking to the media in Guwahati on Monday, APCC (Assam Pradesh Congress Committee) spokesperson Kishore Bhattacharya said: “Several trucks were found to carry EVMs and VVPATs to the Deputy Commissioner’s office at Amingaon near Guwahati between 10 pm and 11 pm on Sunday. We came to know that the EVMs were brought from Tezpur. Now the moot questions are – why are EVMs and VVPATs brought to Amingaon from Tezpur under the cover of darkness, that too, without informing any of the political parties of it? Why has Sunday been chosen for such a transportation of EVMs and VVPATs? The entire episode reeks of a foul play. This looks like a hurdle for democracy. It’s really unfortunate.”
Bhattacharya further said: “We’ve already moved the ECI (Election Commission of India) with a missive, requesting it to institute a high-level inquiry to ascertain as to why the EVMs and VVPATs were transported from Tezpur to Amingaon.”
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