The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Wednesday wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner ahead of counting of votes on March 10, demanding webcasting of the counting process in all constituencies.
In the letter, the Akhilesh Yadav-led party requested that the counting process be webcast across all districts and that the link for the same be made available to all political parties to watch it live.
Akhilesh Yadav, the BJP’s key challenger in UP, on Tuesday accused the BJP of trying to “steal the votes” by manipulting EVMs (electronic voting machines). The BJP registered a strong objection to the allegations. “The Samajwadi Party is winning Ayodhya, that is why the BJP is scared. Election Commission officials are tampering with the EVMs,” Akhilesh Yadav had said.
Earlier in the day, the party had shared a video and said an official was seen “admitting lapse in the protocol” in the transport of EVMS. “There was a lapse in the protocol in the movement of electronic voting machines. But I can assure you that taking away voting machines is impossible. There is a three-level security,” Varanasi commissioner Deepak Agarwal is heard saying in the video.
Meanwhile, the ECI has ordered action against Varanasi Additional District Magistrate NK Singh over the violation of rules in transportation of training EVMs, and the official is set to be suspended, said sources.
(With inputs from agencies)