While the returning officer maintains that the strong room is secure and under CCTV watch, the district administration is reviewing the possibility of shifting the machines to ensure transparency. (Source: File)
The storage of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in a college owned by a BJP candidate for the April 26 elections to the Navsari Municipal Corporation (NMC) has kicked up a controversy with the Congress filing an official complaint with the returning officer questioning the transparency of the poll process.
The newly-formed corporation has 52 seats in 13 wards and 192 polling booths have been set up for the NMC election.
The district administration has stored EVMs in the strong room in the SS Agrawal College in Navsari town.
Congress candidate from ward no. 6 Piyush Dhimmer and other Congress leaders have raised objections before returning officer Ripal Chaudhary, stating that the trustee of S S Agrawal College is Mukesh Agrawal, who is also contesting in ward no. 5 of the NMC on a BJP ticket.
Talking to The Indian Express, Dhimmer said, “We came to know that EVMs have been kept in the SS Agarwal College. We have filed a complaint demanding that the EVMs should be shifted to some other place as we are afraid that anything can be done, like hacking of machines.”
The returning officer confirmed the development. “Today, we have received a written complaint from a third party demanding that EVMs should be shifted from the SS Agrawal College. We told them the EVMs are kept in a secure room with sufficient CCTV surveillance and that security guards are posted at the centre. We also told them that if they wanted to get their man posted for 24 hours at the strong room, they can give an application and we will allow them,” Ripal Chaudhary said.
She added, “In the strong room, we have stored 520 ballot units and 270 control units and we are constantly monitoring them. The college is located in the centre of the town. The EVMs will be used in the NMC elections. EVMs to be used for Navsari District Panchayat and Taluka Panchayat elections are kept at two other places – Sanskar Bharti School and Garda College.”
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Regarding the concern raised by the Congress, the returning officer said that they will speak to higher authorities to check the possibility of shifting the EVMs from the college.
The BJP candidate and trustee of S S Agrawal College, Mukesh Agrawal, said that he will be more than happy if the EVMs are shifted from his college. “We have been running the college for the past 19 years and over 5,000 students are studying there. One of our buildings has been taken by the district administration to store EVMs. If EVMs are shifted to any other place from my college, I will be happier as that space can be used for other purposes,” he said.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
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Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
