Assam: EVM tampering allegation delays voting in Rangapara, BJP accused of foul play

Allegations of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering have surfaced at the Godamghat Kasari polling station no. 112 in the Rangapara constituency under the Lok Sabha constituency of Sonitpur. Voters have raised concerns that EVM machines were fitted with white papers covering the BJP's symbol. The incident has prompted immediate action, with the revenue circle officer of Chardua arriving at the polling station. Consequently, the voting process has been temporarily postponed.

Reports of the alleged tampering emerged early in the morning, around 9 am, when voters began noticing the absence of the BJP symbol on the EVMs. Election officials responded promptly by halting the voting process and instructing subsequent voters to ensure that the symbol appeared when pressed firmly. However, confusion among voters led officials to suspect foul play.

"Our team received reports around 9 am that voters were noticing the absence of the BJP symbol on the EVM. We immediately paused the voting process and instructed the next voters to check if the symbol appeared when pressed firmly," stated an election official.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that someone had affixed a white paper over the BJP symbol button and applied adhesive. This discovery has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and has necessitated immediate intervention from authorities.

"We are monitoring the situation closely, checking every 10 minutes, as some elderly voters may struggle to cast their votes if the issue persists," added the election official.

The revenue circle officer of Chardua has reached the polling station to investigate the matter further and ensure that the voting process proceeds in a fair and transparent manner. Meanwhile, the voting process has been temporarily postponed to address the issue and restore voter confidence.