Allegations have arisen regarding the temporary shutdown of CCTV cameras at the strongroom storing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra, as claimed by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Supriya Sule, a senior party leader, demanded clarification from the Election Commission, calling the incident "suspicious".
According to the NCP's allegation, the CCTV cameras remained inactive for 45 minutes, prompting Sule to raise objections and call attention to what she deemed a "significant" lapse in security.
Responding to the accusation, Kavita Dwivedi, the Returning Officer for the constituency, clarified that the CCTV display was temporarily closed, without specifying the reason behind this action.
A statement from the District Information Office in Pune, shared on social media platform X, assured that the CCTV system in the warehouse housing the EVMs in the Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency remained fully operational, with all data secured, notwithstanding the temporary closure of the display.
"CCTV system in warehouse where EVMs are kept in Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency fully operational. All data secure, only display temporarily closed," District Information Office said in an X post.
Sule, the incumbent MP defending her seat, expressed concern over the shutdown, deeming it suspicious and criticising the lack of satisfactory responses from authorities despite inquiries made by election representatives.
"It is suspicious that the CCTV is switched off where a very important thing like EVM is kept. Also, this is a big laxity," her Hindi post read.
Calling for immediate action and transparency from the Election Commission, Sule urged for an explanation regarding the CCTV shutdown and demanded accountability from those responsible for the incident.
The Baramati constituency witnessed a significant political battle on May 7, notably between members of the Pawar family. Sule, daughter of NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, contested against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, wife of her cousin and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Sule had previously criticised the BJP for what she labelled as "dirty politics" in candidate selection, especially amidst the family's internal dynamics.
The NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, has faced internal rifts, notably when Ajit Pawar aligned with the BJP-Eknath Shinde alliance in July last year, resulting in a visible divide within the party ranks.