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Political parties were bracing for the assembly election results on Thursday in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and politically volatile Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, sending out feelers for possible post-poll tie-ups.
On the eve of the counting of votes, the Election Commission (EC) announced the removal of three officials, including the nodal officer for EVMs in Varanasi, after a massive controversy erupted over Samajwadi Party's allegation that electronic voting machines were being shifted in an unauthorised manner.
The poll panel also deputed Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer as a special officer in Meerut and the Bihar CEO in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary seat, to supervise the counting of votes.
On the arrangements in UP, an Election Commission official said, “Video and static cameras have been installed at all the counting centres, and media centres have also been set up there… adequate AROs (assistant returning officers) have been deployed in every assembly constituency for interruption-free counting,” the senior official said.
Elaborating on the security arrangements, the official said a three-layer security set-up has been made comprising central police forces, PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) and the UP police.
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The remarks come after the Samajwadi Party alleged EVM tampering in the state. The SP on Wednesday said party workers increased their vigil outside the strongroom where the machines are kept.
On its Twitter handle, the SP uploaded a video clip of an official who had admitted that protocol had not been followed while transporting EVMs on Tuesday. However, in the 45-second video, the official also ruled out the possibility of tampering with the EVMs.
“In many districts, reports of ‘herapheri' (tampering with) of EVMs is being received (by the party). On whose directives is this happening? Are officers being pressured from the Chief Minister's Office? EC please clarify this,” the tweet further read. On Tuesday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had accused the ruling BJP of trying to “steal” votes saying a truck carrying EVMs was “intercepted” in Varanasi.
It is a high-stakes election in Uttar Pradesh for the BJP and the Modi government as the state sends the highest number of 80 MPs to Lok Sabha and the party’s performance is expected to have a bearing on the next general elections slated for 2024.
Several exit polls have forecast a clear majority for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and for the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, while predicting a hung assembly in Goa and a tight race between the BJP and the Congress in Uttarakhand. Except for Punjab, all other states were under the BJP.
As the post-poll scenario could throw up surprises due to multi-cornered contests, the parties have dispatched senior leaders to the states and were also wooing other parties to ensure that they get the better of their rival claimant in case outside support is needed to form a government.
The Congress has sent Karnataka Congress chief D K Sivakumar as special observer to Goa and party general secretary Mukul Wasnik and Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo besides Vincent Pala to Manipur.
The party had lost the race for government formation in the two states in 2017 despite emerging as the single largest party. Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar told reporters that AAP leaders were “already in talks with Congress leaders” and claimed that the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) too will support his party.
The Congress has shifted all the candidates in the coastal state to a luxury resort in Bambolim village near Panaji ahead of the counting of votes. Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant was in the national capital on Tuesday to discuss the evolving situation in his state with BJP leadership.
More than 50,000 officials have been deployed for the counting of votes at nearly 1,200 halls in the five states and Covid-19 guidelines will be followed during the exercise that will begin at 8 am amid tight security, according to officials.
Uttar Pradesh, which has a maximum of 403 assembly constituencies, will have more than 750 counting halls, followed by Punjab over 200. Over 650 counting observers have been deployed in the five states to monitor the process.
With exit polls predicting a BJP win in Manipur, the mood is upbeat in the party’s state office in the heart of Imphal with workers busy cleaning premises and erecting fresh party flags on the boundary wall.
The party has contested all 60 seats. However, former chief minister and Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh has also exuded confidence that his party would come back to power.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
