Lok Sabha polls | Dhinakaran urges Election Commission to ensure safety of EVMs in T.N.

Boxes containing the EVMs seen at a strong room in T.N. after the completion of polling for the Lok Sabha elections. Photograph used for representational purposes only | Photo Credit: ANI

AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He also sought uninterrupted CCTV coverage of strong rooms, where EVMs are stored until counting day.

Polling for the Lok Sabha elections took place in Tamil Nadu during the first phase, on April 19, 2024. Counting of votes is scheduled to take place on June 4.

In a social media post, Mr. Dhinakaran referred to media reports about the arrest of a former employee of an engineering college in Theni district, where EVMs have been kept. He also referred to the interruption in the CCTV coverage of strong rooms in separate incidents in Erode district, as well as in the Nilgiris.

The attempted entry of an individual into the campus guarded by Central and State police personnel and technical issues leading to the interruption of CCTV coverage have led to “suspicions” in the minds of the people, Mr. Dhinakaran contended. The former legislator sought appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the EVMs.