Around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, inside a shed next to the main gate of a counting centre in Delhi, Mahipal Singh, 44, an AAP volunteer, is glued to an LCD screen. Split into 20 small windows, the screen displays different parts of the counting centre, including sealed blue doors of the strongrooms where EVMs are stored.
In the wake of allegations of EVM tampering in different parts of the country, the counting centre for South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency in Jija Bai Industrial Training Institute for Women has opened an area where political parties can monitor the feed from CCTV cameras. A white paper stuck outside the shed reads “strongroom monitoring point for political parties” in black letters.
The Hindu visited counting centres for three Lok Sabha seats in the city. While entry was denied at two centres, the reporter could go till the floor of the strongroom at the third one.
Raises concern
At the Jija Bai institute, Mr. Singh, who is continuously monitoring the CCTV feed, is still not happy. “What if something is happening behind the door? We should have been allowed inside the building,” he says. The Aam Aadmi Party has been levelling allegations that the EVMs are being changed by the BJP.
Sushil Kewat, 23, a BJP volunteer, who is sitting next to Mr. Singh on a plastic chair, says he has no doubt on the EVMs. “There are no problems with the EVMs. I am sitting here because AAP has deployed someone here. There should be someone from our side too,” he says.
Asked about the reliability of EVMs, the two men get into a debate. “What else should we do? Go back to ballot paper?” asks Mr. Kewat. “Yes, ballot paper is better,” replies the AAP volunteer and the debate continues.
“Some times debate happens, but then they go silent,” says a Delhi Police head constable who is guarding the centre.
At Delhi Technological University (DTU) , counting centre for North West Delhi, classes are under way and people are not stopped and checked at the main gate.
The reporter could go to the floor of multiple buildings where the EVMs are stored. At the counting centre AC-09 Kirari, the half-open corridors of the civil engineering block are covered with metal sheets held by bamboo sticks.
About 50 metres from the strongroom, four Delhi Police officers are seated on iron chairs and a metal detector is the point till which anyone can go. “Beyond this point no one is allowed except for the Election Commission officials. Even the District Magistrate has to enter his name in the register before going beyond this point,” says a 57-year-old ASI.
Past the four officers, half the corridor is covered by a metal sheet and CRPF officers wielding guns can be seen patrolling the area.
Asked about the doubts cast by people on EVMs being changed, the officer says, “There are about 15 security personnel here and there are CCTV cameras everywhere and the strongroom is sealed. Forget people, not even a mosquito can get inside the room.”
Three-tier security
The Delhi police have made three-tier security arrangements in and around the counting centres in the seven parliamentary constituencies. The entry is allowed only through valid passes issued by the Election Commission of India.
DCP (election cell) Sharat Sinha says security personnel from paramilitary and Delhi Police are guarding strongrooms round-the-clock. “We have made elaborate security arrangements [in three shifts] at the counting centres for crowd management and to avoid any chaotic situation,” says the DCP.
Around 6,000 security personnel are deployed at the seven counting centres. The outer layer of security, including traffic arrangements, is being managed by the Delhi police while the middle and core security are handled by the paramilitary personnel. No vehicular movement is allowed inside the premises of the counting centres. Anticipating chaotic situation, extra security personnel have been deployed in West and South centres.
