Maharashtra bypolls: Palghar EVMs sent in private car to strongroom
Palghar (Maharashtra), May 29 : After polling ended in the Palghar Lok Sabha bye-elections on Monday night, a polling officer in Maharashtra broke protocol and transported the confidential VVPAT-EVMs by his private car to the strongroom, early on Tuesday.
Confirming the incident, Palghar Collector Prashant Narnaware said that a report has been received from the election Zonal Office and a detailed investigation has been ordered through by the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) of the area.
According to available information, the concerned official, apparently tired of waiting for the bus, called for his own private car from home. It is not clear whether he was accompanied by any security personnel on this venture.
The Collector concurred that it was indeed "a serious lapse" since, after the voting in any elections, "the EVM-VVPATs are considered sacrosanct" and cannot be moved around anywhere in such an unauthorized manner.
"As per the guidelines, after voting is completed, a special bus is sent to pick up all the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail-Electronic Voting Machines from all the polling centres.
"Each bus has a specific route by which it travels, picks up the machines and takes them to the ARO office. In this case, the laid down procedures were not followed by the concerned officer," Narnaware told IANS.
The officer, whose name has not yet been made known, was the polling officer at Chinchani polling station in Dahanu sub-district.
He loaded a couple of EVM-VVPATs on the rear seat and drove off to the ARO's office early on Tuesday to deposit them in the strongroom before the counting process is undertaken on May 31.
When the shocking development came to light, whips were cracked and a police complaint is set to be lodged against the officer and others.
The high-stakes bye-elections to the Palghar Lok Sabha, along with Bhandara-Gondiya, were held on Monday, amidst widespread incidents of malfunctioning EVM-VVPATs and allegations of foul play by all opposition parties and ruling ally Shiv Sena.
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Lebanon: Israeli airstrikes kill 29 in Beirut as Israel intensifies attacks
Beirut: A new wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut and its southern suburbs, escalating the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. The attacks follow a deadly assault the previous day that left 29 dead and 66 injured in the Lebanese capital.
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced that it had carried out "intelligence-based strikes" against Hezbollah command centers in Beirut's southern neighborhoods, including Haret Hreik, Burj Barajneh, and Hadath, as reported by Xinhua news agency. Within just 30 minutes, local TV station al-Jadeed documented 12 airstrikes in the area.
Videos shared online captured plumes of dense black smoke rising from the targeted suburbs, indicating the intensity of the bombardment. Prior to the strikes, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee used social media to warn residents to evacuate several buildings in the southern part of the city.
The fresh wave of airstrikes follows a Saturday attack on an eight-storey residential building in Beirut’s Basta Fawka neighborhood. While Israeli reports suggested the target was a senior Hezbollah official, Lebanese lawmaker and Hezbollah member Amin Sherri denied any political or military figures were present in the building during the assault.
In retaliation, Hezbollah declared it had destroyed five Israeli Merkava tanks in southern Lebanon using guided missiles on Sunday. The group also claimed to have launched attacks on several locations in northern Israel, including Kerem ben Zimra and Kfar Blum.
The hostilities have intensified since September 23, with Israeli forces increasing airstrikes on Lebanon and launching a ground offensive across the northern border in early October.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry released figures on Sunday indicating that Israeli airstrikes have resulted in 3,754 deaths and 15,626 injuries since the conflict reignited on October 8, 2023.
