Additional Chief Electoral Officer M. Balaji on Monday began an inquiry into the security breach at Madurai Medical College, the counting centre for Parliamentary elections in Madurai.
The incident, which took place on Saturday night, involved four officials entering an unsealed room without permission.
Documents pertaining to voter turnout and other poll-related matters, submitted by presiding officers of all the polling stations in the Madurai West Assembly segment, were photocopied at a shop located a kilometre from the centre.
The four officials — a Special Tahsildar, an office assistant from the Excise Department and two employees of the Madurai Corporation — have been suspended.
As part of the inquiry, Mr. Balaji questioned the Returning Officer of the constituency, S. Natarajan, the four suspended officials and a few others involved in election-related work.
He also inspected the counting centre.
He met the candidates and their representatives. Su. Venkatesan of the CPI (M) and AMMK’s K. David Annadurai sought the transfer of the Returning Officer and appointment of a Special Observer for the counting.
Condemning the incident, V.V.R. Raj Satyen, the AIADMK candidate, however, expressed confidence in the Returning Officer and demanded action as per procedure.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials’ Association and two staff associations of the Madurai Corporation submitted a representation demanding the withdrawal of suspensions. M.P. Murugaiyan, a State secretary of TNROA, contended that there were no violation involved and the four officials acted on instructions of superiors.
Addressing the media after meeting the candidates, Mr. Balaji said that he will soon submit a report to the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu and the Election Commission. On the officials’ entry and whether it was a violation, he said that the EC had issued clear guidelines on the procedures to be followed at counting centres. “I have enquired with all the stakeholders. My findings will be presented in the report,” he said. He added that the three-tier security arrangements at the counting centre had been strengthened.
In Chennai, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told journalists that agents of political parties would be allowed to stay put in the vicinity of counting centres where the EVMs and VVPAT units were stored. When reporters pointed out that a political party had alleged that agents were not allowed to remain after 10 p.m. in the Theni Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Sahoo said he would look into the matter and clarified that they were allowed to remain there round the clock.
