The BJP has petitioned the Election Commission against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), procured from Malkangiri district, in Umerkote by-election in Nabarangpur district. In a memorandum to the Election Commission, the BJP alleged that the election officer of Nabarangpur district has violated the election handbook for the contestants by not inviting them for the first-level checking.
The second objection of the party was that the district election officer has not intimated the name of the nodal officer appointed by him to the political parties in the fray.
The district election officer of Nabarangpur allegedly informed the contestants about the first-level checking of the EVM machines a couple of hours before the inspection on Saturday. The official candidates were intimated orally, the memorandum said.
The issue was taken up with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here by State executive member and former vice-president of the BJP Samir Mohanty on Saturday requesting him to defer the inspection of EVM machines to Sunday.
Even though the district election officer of Nabarangpur called an all-party meeting on November 17, the scheduled checking and randomisation of EVM machines was not discussed, Mohanty said.
Full Article: BJP says no to EVMs from Malkangiri – southindia – Orissa – ibnlive.