Now, an EVM found on National Highway in Rajasthan; EC calls it an ‘accident’

Polling in five states has come to an end but the reports of EVM malfunction, EVM missing and violence during the polls has been dominating the news.

During the assembly election in Rajasthan, reports of EVM malfunctioning were reported from the districts of Pali, Nagaur, Jhalawar and Bikaner. Not only this, an EVM was found lying on the road in the Shahabad area of Kishanganj Assembly Constituency in Baran district of Rajasthan.

When the Election Commission official were asked about it, nonchalantly they said, "It might have fallen off accidentally.”

In another incident, according to a report in Times of India, polling officer at Adarsh Nagar polling booth (No. 101) near the Sanganeri Gate in the city, a white-bearded polling officer, sporting a tilak on his forehead, had been insisting that voters press the Number 1 button on the EVM and cast their votes in favour of BJP candidate Ashok Parnami.

“We were asked to press the Number 1 button. Who is he to ask us to vote for a particular candidate?” grumbled Yusuf Qureshi.

When the TOI reporter inquired about the polling officer he was shoved and threatened by Lal Kothi SHO Raj Kumar Sharma. Later, the polling official was removed from duty.

On Wednesday, Election Commission ordered the removal of returning officer of the Khurai assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh after some EVMs and paper trail machines reached the strong room 48 hours after the elections were held. It was reported that these machines were meant as reserves and were not used in polling. Later, Khurai returning officer Vikas Singh was removed from his post.

In yet another controversy in MP, EVMs were found in a hotel room belonging to a BJP leader. In another news, As school bus went missing for 2 days in Madhya Pradesh. In another case, the backroom of a strong room was found to be open thereby allowing access to anyone.

Earlier on Friday, three persons, who claimed to be employees of Reliance Jio, were detained by police from a strongroom at Women's Polytechnic College, Dharampura Jagdalpur. On Thursday, BSF sub-inspector was allegedly found using a laptop computer outside a strongroom housing Electronic Voting Machines in Bemetara district