Mumbai: After a report by a Mumbai-based newspaper said that Shiv Sena chief Ravindra Waikar’s relative was carrying a cell phone inside a counting centre in Maharashtra’s Goregaon that was allegedly used for producing the OTP that unlocked the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the Returning Officer dispelled such stories and clarified that no OTP (One Time Password) on cellular is required for unlocking EVMs.
“There is no OTP (One Time Password) on mobile for unlocking EVM as it is non programmable and it has no wireless communication capabilities. It is a complete lie being spread by a newspaper, which is being used by some leaders to create false narrative,” Vandana Suryavanshi, the Returning Officer of 27 Mumbai North West Parliamentary Constituency mentioned in a press convention on Sunday.
The Returning Officer additional said that the incident at Mumbai North West Constituency Counting Centre is concerning unauthorisedly utilizing cell phone of a licensed individual by a candidate’s aide.
“Criminal case has already been filed by the Returning Officer,” she added. Asserting the efficacy of EVMs in conducting polls, Suryavanshi mentioned, “EVMs are stand alone devices without any wired or wireless connectivity with units outside EVM system. Advanced technical features and robust administrative safeguards are in place to rule out any possibility of manipulation. Safeguards include conducting everything in the presence of candidates or their agents.”
Sharing particulars about counting of votes via postal poll, the Returning Officer mentioned, “Counting of ETPBS (Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System) occurs in bodily kind (paper ballots) and never electronics as being unfold via false narratives.
“Every counting sheet at every table for ETPBS and EVM counting and postal ballot counting (including ETPBS) is signed by all counting agents after due diligence,” she added. The Returning Officer additional said that proceedings are on towards the newspaper for “spreading rumours maligning Indian voters and the electoral system.”
Earlier within the day, an FIR was registered towards Mangesh Pandilkar, a relative of Shiv Sena chief Ravindra Waikar for allegedly carrying a cell phone inside a counting centre in Maharashtra’s Goregaon. The case has been registered at Vanrai Police Station. FIR has additionally been registered towards a polling personnel Dinesh Gurav, who was an Encore (ballot portal) operator with the Election Commission.
Mumbai’s Vanrai Police has despatched a discover to Mangesh Pandilkar and Dinesh Gurav beneath part 41A of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The cell phones have been despatched to the Forensic Science Laboratory(FSL) to get well the info and fingerprints current on the telephone are additionally being taken, the police mentioned. “We are also investigating the CCTV cameras of the Nesco Center, which may help us to find out how the mobile phone reached inside the centre and also investigating whether there are more accused involved in this case or trying to find out who supplied this mobile phone,” Vanrai Police mentioned.
Notably, Ravindra Waikar received the Mumbai North-West constituency by a small margin of 48 votes. The constituency witnessed an in depth combat between each Shiv Sena factions – Eknath Shinde’s Ravindra Waikar and Uddhav Thackeray’s Amol Kirtikar.
The constituency witnessed an in depth combat between each Shiv Sena factions – Ravindra Waikar from Eknath Sinde’s Shiv Sena and Amol Kirtikar from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT). After the ultimate consequence, Waikar was declared winner by simply 48 votes.
