Bengaluru: BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa has written to the Election Commission pointing out “grave irregularities" after eight boxes used for carrying Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were found at a temporary shed in a village in Karnataka's Vijayapura.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat, Yeddyurappa said the EC should take serious note of what he claimed were VVPAT machines and said it indicated “grave irregularities" in the conduct of assembly polls in the state.
“This incident has exposed the hollowness of the claim of the Election Commission that Assembly elections in Karnataka were held in a free and free manner," Yeddyurappa said.
He said prior to polling day BJP leaders and workers had brought many such irregularities to the notice of the concerned officials but in vain. The former Karnataka CM alleged that in many Assembly segments of Bidar and Kalaburagi districts, police officials themselves helped rival candidates to distribute money and liquor among the voters.
The state chief electoral officer (CEO) Sanjiv Kumar has said the boxes used for carrying VVPAT machines, found in Managuli village on Sunday, do not belong to the district or to Election
Commission.
“The boxes are without machine and paper and without unique electronic tracking number...the Election Commission will initiate strict action against those who are trying to create confusion," Kumar said, adding, no VVPAT machines were found.
The Deputy Commissioner of the district and the Superintendent of Police conducted on the spot inspection following reports that empty boxes of VVPAT machines were spotted in the shed. “These boxes do not belong to Vijayapura district and 2744 VVPATs allotted to the district are safely kept in the
strong room," Kumar said.
An FIR has been registered at Managuli police station and investigation into the matter is on, the CEO said.
(WITH PTI INPUTS)
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