Telangana Congress seeks suspension of Vikarabad district collector over EVM tampering

Congress in Telangana Saturday demanded the suspension of the Vikarabad district Collector after officials allegedly removed seals of EVMs used in the recent assembly polls in a particular constituency, the result of which has been challenged in court. Telangana Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka demanded that the Election Commission order an inquiry against the officials concerned.

"There is a petition pending in court on the Vikarabad Assembly seat. The officials are aware of that. The officials removed seals of 120 EVMs," he alleged. Vikramarka said this was totally against the rules of the Election Commission.

"These acts strengthen our suspension (of manipulation of EVMs during polls by the ruling TRS). The Collector, who is also the District Electoral Officer, should immediately be removed from duties and placed under suspension. The EC should order an inquiry into the whole issue," he said. Despite repeated attempts, Collector Syed Omer Jaleel did not respond to calls or reply to messages.

Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said there has been a "lapse" on the part of the officials as they were not supposed to touch EVMs belonging to a constituency, whose result has been challenged in court. "There has been a lapse (on the part of officials). Since there is a petition pending in court, the facts will be presented to the judiciary. According to the Collector's version, he was not aware of it (pending case in the court).

They took out some of the EVMs. The seals of the EVMs were not removed. Administrative action will be taken for the lapse," Kumar told PTI, adding that representatives of the Congress were also present when the strongroom was opened. He said that the officials, who realised that the result of the constituency has been challenged in court, kept the EVMs back in the strongroom.

Kumar said the district administration was in the process of doing First Level Checks of EVMs not covered in the EP (Election Petition), for the Lok Sabha polls, as directed by the Election Commission. Congress nominee G Prasad Kumar had moved the Telangana High Court, challenging the winner of his TRS rival, alleging large-scale irregularities in the polls.

In a petition to the EC, Prasad Kumar alleged that the officials' actions were in gross violation and in defiance of the instructions of the Election Commission "with malafide intentions with an ulterior motive to defeat the due legal process to deny me justice." He requested the EC to immediately place the officers under suspension and order an enquiry.

(With inputs from agencies.)