EVM controversy in MP: Khuria Returning Officer removed

New Delhi, Dec 5: The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered the removal of returning officer of Khurai assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh after some electronic voting machines and paper trail machines reached the strong room 48 hours after the elections were held. These machines were meant as reserves and were not used in polling.

Assistant returning officer of Khurai Rajesh Mehra has already been placed under suspension. On Wednesday, Khurai returning officer Vikas Singh was removed from his post and another officer Tanvi Hooda was put in charge of the seat, a EC order said. Elections in MP were held on November 28 and counting will take place on December 11.

Two petitions were filed Tuesday in the Madhya Pradesh High Court in connection with EVMs used in the state assembly polls. Congress leader Naresh Saraf sought direction from the high court to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in the handling of reserve electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Bhopal, Satna, Sagar, Shahjapur and Khandwa.

Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Kamal Nath and Kapil Sibal met EC officials Tuesday and raised a number of issues, ranging from EVM-related complaints in Madhya Pradesh and Shah's statement to the arrest of the opposition party's working president in Telangana. Earlier on Tuesday, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath also met the CEC in Delhi and demanded that EVMs should be protected in a secured place and counting should be done in an impartial and fair manner.

PTI