INDIA Bloc Alerts Workers Over Role Of EVMs During Jharkhand Polls On November 13

The alliance has discussed the issue with all the partners who will monitor their seats.

New Delhi:Concerned over the role of the EVMs, the INDIA bloc has asked its booth workers to remain alert during the phase 1 polling on 43 seats on November 13 and report any untoward incident to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) control room immediately.

"We reviewed the election preparations along with our allies. There is a concern over the role of the EVMs, like we witnessed recently in the Haryana Assembly elections where several voting machines were found 99 per cent charged even after full-day polling. This was something unusual. Hence, we have deputed two booth workers who will remain inside the polling station and two outside till the last vote has been polled on November 13," AICC Secretary in-charge of Jharkhand Saptagiri Ulaka told ETV Bharat.

"We have also set up a helpline number on which the workers will report any issues with the EVMs immediately. We have also directed the workers to collect the Form 17 C from the booth officers at the end of the polling so that no mismatch of the voting data takes place as we had witnessed during the (2024) Lok Sabha elections. Finally, we have also directed the workers to ensure a heavy voter turnout by coordinating with the local communities," he said.

According to the AICC functionary, training sessions for the INDIA bloc workers have been held over the polling day preparations and all the partners including the Congress, JMM, RJD and CPI-ML will monitor their seats to secure the alliance. The JMM is contesting most of the 43 phase 1 seats while the Congress is fighting over a dozen seats.

"During her campaign, JMM leader Kalpana Soren had been telling the workers to collect 17 C on voting day. Earlier we had lodged complaints with the Election Commission after the Lok Sabha and Haryana (Assembly) elections but nothing happened," said Ulaka.

According to the AICC functionary, the Congress had lodged a few complaints with the EC on November 11 also and one of them related to Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.

"It is about the involvement of a Governor in political activities. The EC has promised us to take cognisance of the matter and they have also instructed the CEO to immediately do an inquiry and submit a report," Ulaka said.

The INDIA bloc managers said they were confident of doing well on November 13 as the alliance had focussed its campaign on a positive agenda.

"We are hopeful that the women's allowance scheme benefiting 53 lakh women across the state will play a major role in the poll outcome. Already four instalments of the scheme have been delivered and the amount will be increased after the elections.

"We are empowering the needy rather than helping the corporates through tax cuts. The BJP talks about women but does nothing for their security. They remained mum when two tribal women suffered in Manipur communal violence and later when a tribal youth was urinated upon in Madhya Pradesh. We have promises for the youth and the tribal areas as well,” Ulaka added.