Just hours after the second phase of polling ended in Assam on Thursday, a video started making rounds on social media that allegedly showed electronic voting machines (EVMs) were being transported in the car of BJP MLA from Patharkandi, Krishnendu Paul. He is also a candidate contesting polls.
Assam-based journalist Atanu Bhuyan who Tweeted the video also mentioned that the situation was getting tense in Patharkandi following the incident.
In the video, EVMs can be seen inside a white coloured jeep with the registration number AS 10B 0022 and people can be heard saying that the jeep belongs to Krishnendu Paul.
BJP losing polls in Assam: Congress
Accusing BJP of trying to hijack the election, several top Congress leaders tweeted about the incident, such as MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Gaurav Gogoi, party’s in-charge for Assam Jitendra Singh and senior leader Rakibul Hussain.
Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora has even threatened that the party would boycott the election “if this open loot and rigging of EVMs don’t stop immediately”.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said the Election Commission should act decisively on such complaints and that a serious re-evaluation of the use of EVM’s needs to be carried out by all national parties.
Priyanka also said that the BJP uses its media tools to attack those who exposed them. “Every time there is an election video of private vehicles caught transporting EVM’s show up. Unsurprisingly they have the following things in common: 1. The vehicles usually belong to BJP candidates or their associates. 2. The videos are taken as one-off incidents and dismissed as aberrations. 3. The BJP uses its media machinery to accuse those who exposed the videos as sore losers,” she tweeted.
“The fact is that too many such incidents are being reported and nothing is being done about them. The EC needs to start acting decisively on these complaints and a serious re-evaluation of the use of EVM’s needs to be carried out by all national parties,” Priyanka added.
On Thursday, 39 assembly seats went to polls in Assam in the 2nd phase of the election, with a 73.03 per cent voter turnout recorded till 6 pm.
No response has come from the BJP or the election commission on this allegation.