Upamanyu Hazarika seeks removal of Guwahati Returning officer for suspiciously storing unused EVMs of Tezpur LS Constituency in Amingaon

Guwahati: Independent candidate from Guwahati Lok Sabha Constituency and Senior advocate Upamanyu Hazarika on Monday registered a complaint to the Election Commission of India seeking removal of the Returning Officer of Guwahati Lok Sabha Constituency for suspiciously storing unused EVMs of Tezpur Lok Sabha Constituency in the vicinity of the EVM storage strong room in AMINGAON, without intimation to any of the candidates in Guwahati Lok Sabha Constituency.

As per the complaint letter to the Joint Chairman, Election Commission of India, Mohan Lal Sureka, Hazarika claimed that the returning officer, KK Baishya on May 17, 2019 vide his order no KEL02/2019 pt III/331 intimated that the strong room in Amingaon housing the EVMs of 4 assembly constituencies within Gauhati Lok Sabha was to be opened on May 20, 2019, i.e 3 days prior to the counting. Although an objection was being raised by the Independent Candidate Upamanyu Hazarika, the process was deferred. “There is no earthly reason as to why the strong room has to be opened five days prior to the counting, when for other constituencies the strong room is being opened in the morning of May 23, 2019 i.e. the date of counting. No explanation has been offered so far.

Such instances demonstrate that the Returning officer is acting in collateral and malafide intent to unduly influence the election outcome.

In order to maintain the sanctity of the electoral process, it is imperative that the returning officer KK Baishya should be forthwith removed and substituted, Upamanyu Hazarika states further.