The high voltage drama in Varanasi over which EVMs went on till late night. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Omprakash Rajbhar opened the front. Hundreds of SP workers created a ruckus at the polling booth in Pahariya Mandi, alleging alteration of EVMs. They stopped a vehicle that had come out of the counting venue carrying EVMs and sat on a dharna demanding that EVMs be checked. He had alleged that the EVMs of the City Southern Assembly constituency were being manipulated, but the truth turned out to be different. Describing the allegation of SP workers as baseless, District Election Officer Kaushalraj Sharma said that the talk of altering EVMs is just a rumour. The EVMs were being taken for training of counting personnel on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the training of counting personnel is to be held in the UP College campus. For this, unused EVMs were being sent from Pahadia to UP College at 5 pm. EVMs were sent from two vehicles. Meanwhile, on receiving the news, SP workers reached the gate of Pahariya Mandi and stopped a vehicle carrying EVMs. On receiving the information, a large number of police force along with administrative and police officers reached the spot. The officers tried to convince the protesting SPs but they were not ready to end the strike. SP Metropolitan President Vishnu Sharma informed about the entire episode to National President Akhilesh Yadav. With the passage of time, the number of SP workers at the dharna site was increasing.
Akhilesh made allegations by tweeting
SP President and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has tweeted and accused of trying to rigging the counting of votes. He said that the news of EVM being caught in Varanasi is giving a message to every assembly of UP to be alert. All the candidates and supporters of SP-alliance should be ready with their cameras to thwart the attempt of rigging in the counting of votes. To protect youth democracy and future, become soldiers in counting of votes!
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DM said only rumor
District Election Officer Kaushalraj Sharma told that the EVM was going to UP College for training from a separate warehouse located in Mandi. Some political people have spread rumors by stopping the vehicle and calling it EVM used in elections. On Wednesday, there is the second training of the employees engaged in counting duty. These machines are always used in training for hands-on training. The EVMs which were used in the elections are all locked in the strong room under the supervision of CRPF. They are also being monitored by CCTV which is being watched by people of all political parties.