Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Dec 12: The District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, in a letter, has attributed the fracas created by a particular candidate�s supporters on the evening of December 7 last after voting was over to procedural ignorance on the part of the agitated people.
He stated that the Reserve EVMs available with the Sector Magistrates and the movement of the EVMs containing the votes polled along with the polling officials to their respective clusters created a sense of confusion among the supporters of one candidate contesting the second phase election on December 7. The District Election officer mentioned in the note that he along with the SSP explained the process in detail to the protestors who then calmed down.
�They were explained about the SOP for transportation of reserve EVM and the polled EVM, which was being followed and they were also briefed that they could verify the EVM numbers through authorized agent, at the time of sealing of strong room as per the ECI guidelines. The situation was resolved. The polled EVMs were immediately transported to strong rooms and all EVMs were sealed in the presence of candidate’s agent and the General Observer. The agents present had every chance to verify
the EVMs numbers with what they had been supplied earlier. Scrutiny next day was also done in the presence of Candidate’s agent. 0n both the occasions, candidate’s agents didn’t make any oral or written complaint to the General Observer,� stated the note.