Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) RN Gopalan on Monday rubbished claims by a political party that a truckload of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was secretly moved from Ganjam district to Nuapada before the Assembly by-poll, calling it ‘impossible’.
Gopalan made it clear that no EVMs from any other district were moved to Nuapada and all machines being used there were sourced from its designated local warehouse.
Addressing a press meet, he said, “There are EVM warehouses in all 30 districts of the state, including Nuapada. The EVMs being used in Nuapada are from its local warehouse. No EVMs have been brought from outside.”
Gopalan further stated, “In Ganjam, there are two warehouses where EVMs are stored. Every three months, these warehouses are inspected in the presence of representatives from all political parties. Following the allegations, the CCTV footage of the two warehouses in Ganjam was checked, and no evidence was found to support the claims made by the opposition.”
He continued: “When an EVM is transported for repairs or replacement, every police station along the route is informed, and the vehicle details are shared for tracking.”
Urging the Nuapada voters to not fall for such allegations, he added, “The Election Commission has been reliable for 75 years. To date, not a single allegation against EVMs has been proven in court. Transparency has been maintained. Hence, Nuapada voters should not buy into such allegations.”
