Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi said the administration showed negligence during the early counting of the Assam election [1].
These allegations suggest potential vulnerabilities in the security of the electoral process. If unused voting equipment is left unsecured, it can lead to challenges regarding the integrity of the final results and fuel distrust in the administrative handling of the vote.
Gogoi said party teams observed unused electronic voting machines, known as EVMs, stored in rooms that were not locked [1]. He said this lack of security represents a failure by the administration to maintain strict protocols during the counting phase.
"Our teams saw unused EVMs stored in rooms without being locked," Gogoi said [1].
The Congress party is now closely monitoring the progression of the tally to ensure transparency. Gogoi said the party intends to oversee the process as the results emerge.
"We will keep an eye on every round of counting," Gogoi said [1].
Despite the concerns over administrative lapses, the party leader expressed optimism about the outcome of the election. He said the party is waiting for the final tallies to be completed across the state.
"We are awaiting a positive result in Assam," Gogoi said [1].
He said the party has seen a little negligence by the administration throughout the early stages of the process [1].
“Our teams saw unused EVMs stored in rooms without being locked.”
The allegations of unsecured EVMs highlight the high tension and scrutiny surrounding election integrity in Assam. By publicly questioning the administration's security protocols, the Congress party is establishing a record of potential irregularities that could be used to contest results if the margins are slim.
