EVMs on bikes: Cong demands repoll in Velachery booths

Shortly after media flashed news of polling staff carrying EVMs on motorcycles, Congress candidate in Velachery Hasan Moulana, along with his father JM Haroon and DMK district secretary Ma Subramaniam met election officials concerned and urged them to order repoll in the booths related to the incident. Though the election officials clarified that the two EVMs were spare machines and one was pulled out after it developed snag in a booth, Subramaniam alleged there could be a larger conspiracy and the booths involved should go for repoll.

JM Haroon, who was a former MP, wondered as to who permitted the three staff, who were later suspended, to carry the machines without security personnel.

State Congress president KS Alagiri, who accused the Election Commission of doing nothing to prevent the excess of ruling AIADMK men in Velachery, said the attempt of ruling AIADMK to rig the poll was caught red-handed.

Referring to the earlier allegation of Moulana who alleged that DMK voters were selectively removed from the voters’ list, Alagiri recalled the statement of chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo dismissing the incident as false and said that several news channels have carried footage of the people catching the EVM. “If the ECI still denies it, I would like to accuse them of blatantly working in favour of the ruling AIADMK,” said Alagiri in a statement.

Taking exception to the CEO’s denial, the TNCC chief wondered as to who was carrying the EVMs? He also urged the commission to favourably consider the request of his party candidate Hasan Moulana and conduct a repoll in the booths concerned.