Political parties maintain vigil at strong rooms with sealed EVMs

Gautam Budh Nagar administration has deployed security personnel at the flower market round the clock to ensure that no one tampers with the EVMs that hold the fate of 14 candidates in the fray for the Gautam Budh Nagar parliamentary seat

Strong rooms at the flower market in Phase 2 Noida, that now hold the sealed electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being guarded round-the-clock, not just by the security agencies but by representative of major political parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Armed police are guarding the EVM strong rooms at Phool Mandi in Noida’s Phase 2. Political parties too have deployed their representatives at the market to keep strict vigil until counting day on June 4. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The representatives of political parties said they are taking up the vigil on a shift basis since April 26, when Gatuam Budh Nagar voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

Gautam Budh Nagar administration too has made security arrangements and security personnel have been deployed at the flower market round the clock to ensure that no one tampers with the EVMs that hold the fate of 14 candidates in the fray for the Gautam Budh Nagar parliamentary seat.

The opposition parties have called upon their representatives and party functionaries to stay vigilant and guard the strong rooms and the maximum number of agents have been posted by the BSP, which has 14 of its people guarding the strongrooms in Noida and Bulandshahr.

BSP candidate from Gautam Budh Nagar constituency Rajendra Singh Solanki said, “We have deputed eight people to stand guard at the Noida facility where EVMs have been secured, while six others have been deployed in Bulandshahr. The monitoring will be done day and night in order to prevent any malpractices before counting day. Even the day polling was concluded, our party representatives remained present in Noida, Dadri, Jewar and Bulandshahr as well.”

“So far, there has been no breach in security; the district administration has been very alert.”

Similarly, the SP has deputed five people in Noida and two people in Bulandshahr to monitor the strong rooms, said party functionaries.

“We have deployed five people in rotation to guard the strong rooms and at any given point of time, two of our workers will remain present there. Instructions have been issued to them that no outsider is allowed near the strong rooms. These people will continue to guard the place until the EVMs get unlocked and the votes counted. In Bulandshahr, two people are monitoring the strong rooms,” said SP candidate Dr Mahendra Nagar.

“We will later appoint them as counting agents for monitoring the counting process,” he said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too has deputed people to guard the EVMs.

Media incharge, BJP, Gautam Budh Nagar, Tanmay Shankar said, “Four party functionaries have been appointed to monitor the strong rooms in Noida while senior party representatives frequently visit the place besides the routine inspections conducted by the administration.”

District magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said, “All security arrangements are intact and the strong rooms, in Noida and Bulandshahr, are being constantly monitored through technical surveillance and other means. Adequate armed personnel have been deployed to guard the EVMs. ID cards have been provided to the party functionaries who are involved in monitoring.”

The machines will be opened on the counting day, on June 4, in the presence of administrative officials and contesting candidates.

The Gautam Budh Nagar Lok Sabha constituency, that comprises of Noida, Dadri, Jewar, Khurja and Sikandrabad, recorded ​53.63% voting in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.