Congress alleges 'violation' of strong rooms, EVMs safety in Assam

State Congress President Ripun Bora, in his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, said that "diverse serious discrepancies were found" in the strong rooms where the EVMs were kept after the elections in nine Assembly constituencies - Jaleswar, Chabua, Dibrugarh, Lahowal, Moran, Dudhnoi, Goalpara East, Goalpara West and Dhakuakhana. 

Citing instances, the Congress leader said that tags and slips bearing the number of ballot unit, control unit and VVPAT in respect of two polling stations under the Dhakuakhana constituency were found near the strong room. He said that mismatches of the identification numbers of EVMs, control units, ballot units and VVPATs were found and informed to the Deputy Commissioner concerned. 

"The four Congress candidates in Goalpara district filed a joint petition to the district election officer regarding three boys entering the strong room and the control room on April 28 with electrical devices 'on the pretext of some repairing works' in the closed-circuit television unit," Bora said. 

Demanding n immediate enquiry into the allegations, the Congress leader sought the intervention of the Election Commission to resolve the "discrepancies in respect of the safety of strong rooms and EVMs". 

Bora also demanded counting of VVPAT in respect of the constituencies where EVMs and strong rooms securities were violated.