Nilgiris district collector and Returning Officer for Nilgiris parliamentary constituency M. Aruna has stated that she is willing to take representatives of political parties and their candidates to see the security arrangements made at the counting center in the Government Polytechnic College in Udhagamandalam, where the ballot boxes and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been stored until the date of counting.
This follows after Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at the centre went offline due to what was described as a “technical malfunction” caused by overheating due to a lack of ventilation. Ms. Aruna said that the CCTVs stopped working between 6:17 p.m. and 6.43 p.m. when it was rectified. Further measures have been taken to prevent such instances from recurring.
Ms. Aruna said there were around 170 CCTV cameras around the college as well as the strong rooms where the polling machinery has been sealed in the presence of the candidates and their representatives.
Despite the malfunction, Ms. Aruna confirmed that there was no lapse in security at the counting center. The center had a three-tier security system in place, and in addition to the Central Reserve Police Force, who were in charge of guarding the interior of the premises, the Tamil Nadu Special Battalion Police, as well as local police, were also providing security, making it impossible for anyone to tamper with the ballot boxes or EVM machines.
She said the Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that any candidate or political party representative seeking reassurance of the security measures would be escorted to the college and briefed on the security arrangements in place.
The Election Commission should ensure there are no technical faults in cameras placed at strong rooms, said L. Murugan, BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha elections in the Nilgiris.. The officials should take steps and ensure there are no technical faults to avoid doubts rather than giving excuses, he said.
He claimed names of voters, especially BJP supporters, were deleted across Tamil Nadu. “The DMK had done it,” he claimed.
