Amid allegations of a few people entering a vote counting centre with laptops in Jalandhar, the Election Commission on Wednesday dismissed the claim, saying that “nothing wrong or out of rules had happened.”
The Bahujan Samaj Party candidate from Jalandhar, Balwinder Kumar, had alleged that a few people were seen entering the centre, where EVMs have been kept in strongrooms.
Mr. Kumar in his complaint to the Deputy Commissioner said he was informed by his supporters that on Tuesday suspicious movement of people was observed in the Directorate of Land Records office, where the strongrooms have been set up.
Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S. Karuna Raju said that after investigation it was found that the “people”, who had entered the counting centre with laptops, were members of the counting staff and had come to take part in the training.
In another case in Jalandhar’s Phagwara, where through a video it was being shown that a man on voting day was moving near Senior Secondary School Bhanoke carrying EVMs, Mr. Raju clarified that nothing wrong or out of rules had happened.
“It was ascertained after investigations that the man was Mr. Balwinder Kumar, who had been appointed in-charge of Sector 4 by Returning Officer, Hoshiarpur, and he had nine polling stations under him,” said Mr. Raju.
