Trucks loaded with EVMs taken from Tezpur to Amingaon, APCC complains to ECI

April 29: Four trucks loaded with Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), comprising of Control Units (CU), Ballot Units (BU) and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines from Tezpur to Amingaon in Kamrup (Rural) district on Sunday night led to a great ruckus. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has expressed serious concern and demanded an explanation from the district administration and state government.

While addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati on Monday, APCC spokesman Kishore Bhattacharya said, “A number of vehicles loaded with EVMs were taken to the office premises of the Kamrup (Rural) DC at Amingaon last night in between 10:30 to 11. The APCC immediately dashed off a memorandum to the Election Commission informing about the incident.”

Kamal Kumar Baishya, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup said, “The unused EMV, VVPT machines were brought from the Tezpur polling booths after the Lok Sabha elections. There are around 2266-VU, 222-CU and 267 VVPAT machines stored at the Amingaon strong room.” “Amingaon has been made the central strong room for the polling machines. These machines will be sent to other places as per requirement. The malfunctioned machines will be sent to Hyderabad for repairment,” Baishya added.

The Assam Congress also questioned, “Why Sunday was chosen to carry the EVMs? Why the EVMs were taken from a town area like Tezpur to Kamrup like rural area at night without the knowledge of any political party?” The APCC has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to order a high-level inquiry into the incident.