New Delhi: A day after former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged transportation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) ahead of the counting of votes for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered a probe and suspended Assistant District Magistrate (ADM) of Varanasi, a returning officer (RO) in Sonbhadra district and an additional election officer in Bareilly district.
EC has asked the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of UP to take action against Varanasi ADM NK Singh for alleged violation of rules in transportation EVMs, news agency ANI reported.
Additional Election Officer V K Singh was removed from the election process in Bareilly. In Sonbhadra district, Ghorawal returning officer Ramesh Kumar was removed from the election duty as ballot papers were recovered from a box inside his vehicle.
"ECI has taken action against any type of breach of protocol. ECI has suspended ADM Varanasi," Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar told ANI.
"EVM in-charge, Additional District Magistrate Nalini Kant Singh was released from election work with immediate effect late night on March 8 for negligence in EVM transportation. EVM in-charge has been made," Varanasi District Election Officer Kaushal Raj Sharma said.
Additional DM Nalini Kant Singh has been barred from going to the counting spot. Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Sanjay Kumar has been made the nodal officer for EVMs.
EC action comes after Akhilesh alleged that a truck carrying EVMs was "intercepted" in Varanasi and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to "steal votes".
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh said that senior government officials in the state capital are directing their subordinates in the districts to slow down the counting of votes and prolong the process till late night where the chances of the BJP candidates winning the electoral contest are low.
He also claimed that instructions were given particularly for 47 seats where the BJP had won last state Assembly polls with a margin of less than 5,000 votes.
"Instructions are being sent to the district magistrates from the chief minister's residence by the principal secretary to the chief minister that wherever the BJP is losing the election, the counting should be delayed and it should be stretched till late night," he said.
"Today, in Varanasi, where the EVMs were being taken, one truck (with the machines) was caught, while two other trucks fled. If the government is not indulging in stealing votes, then it should at least say why the administration has not made security arrangements (for the EVMs)," the SP chief said.
Meanwhile, Varanasi district administration had said that EVMs meant for training purposes were being transported in a truck, which was stopped by members of some political party who spread "rumours" that the machines were used in the just-concluded polls.
Even the Election Commission initially said that the said EVMs were "marked for training" of officials who will be on duty during the counting of votes and were not used in elections.
The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls concluded on Monday. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.
(With inputs from PTI.)