Despite lacking direct access to the strong rooms where the EVMs are stored, parties have reposed trust in the steps ensuring transparency.
Strong room being sealed by officers as political parties' representatives looks on in Palakkad
Kerala is eagerly awaiting the outcome of its democratic exercise, which it carried out on 26 April as part of the Lok Sabha elections.
The spotlight now falls on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) securely housed in strong rooms across the state.
The voting is concluded and the fate of numerous candidates is sealed within these machines.
Political parties are now turning their gaze toward the impending results, placing their hopes on the integrity of the electoral process.
A Central Armed Police personnel guarding the strong room
The EVMs were shifted to the fortified strong rooms on 26 April itself. They will remain there under lock and key until 4 June, when the votes are scheduled to be counted.
This period of anticipation has been marked by stringent security measures to ensure that the sanctity of the electoral process remains uncompromised.
Authorities have imposed strict restrictions on access to the strong rooms, barring the entry of anyone except authorised personnel, to thwart any potential tampering or malfeasance.
Political parties may be eager for insights into the electoral outcome. However, they have been denied access to the EVMs until the official declaration of results. That is unless any untoward incidents warrant immediate inspection.
According to the office of Kerala Chief Electoral Officer (CWO) Sanjay Kaul, “The EVMs were shifted from the collection centres to the strong rooms and were kept double locked in the presence of representatives of political parties.”
It added, “As per the direction of the Election Commission of India, each strong room will be manned by a platoon of security personnel.”
The office also said: “Two layers of security are being provided outside the strong rooms.”
The Central Armed Police Force is providing the first layer of security cover, while the State Armed Police personnel are providing the second layer.
A security personnel guarding a strong room
In a bid to uphold transparency and instil confidence in the electoral process, the strong rooms housing the EVMs have been placed under round-the-clock surveillance.
The security detail is meticulously monitoring these rooms, leaving no room for doubt or suspicion.
“A control room has been set up to ensure monitoring. A gazetted officer as well as a police officer are keeping an eye on the CCTV visuals round the clock,” said the CEO’s office.
It added that political parties’ representatives could visit these control rooms and ensure the security of the strong rooms.
According to Kerala’s State Election Commission, the heightened vigilance underscored the significance of the electoral process and the commitment of the concerned to ensure a free, fair, and transparent election.
BJP’s Pathanamthitta district president VA Sooraj told South First that the party had faith in the security arrangements.
He added that the saffron party also had measures in place if any breach happened in the strong rooms.
According to the CPI(M) district committee in Thiruvananthapuram, the surveillance measures were satisfactory.
“If there are complaints of any malpractice, we can access the CCTV footage. That’s what the authorities have assured us,” said a committee member.
According to an officer of the Thiruvananthapuram district administration, all political parties’ representatives were taken into confidence and the entire process was transparent.
The constituencies and their corresponding EVM storage centres are:
(Edited by Arkadev Ghoshal)
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