Thiruvananthapuram, April 14: In the wake of heightened political vigilance following the recent elections in Kerala, opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan has demanded round-the-clock monitoring of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) storage facilities.
He emphasized the need for continuous oversight to ensure the security and transparency of EVM strongrooms across the state.
Satheeshan has issued directives to all 140 candidates of the United Democratic Front (UDF), their election agents, district Congress committee (DCC) presidents, and district UDF chairpersons, urging them to exercise special vigilance.
He noted that current regulations allow candidates to deploy representatives in control rooms to monitor CCTV cameras installed in EVM strongrooms. This provision should be fully utilized, ensuring a representative’s presence at all times.
The opposition leader also instructed candidates and their chief election agents to obtain necessary permissions from the relevant district collectors to maintain continuous presence in the control rooms, thereby bolstering public confidence in the electoral process.
He remarked that this pre-count phase is particularly sensitive, making it crucial to avoid any negligence. Although the Election Commission has consistently stated that EVMs are stored under secure conditions, political parties are maintaining their monitoring systems as an additional precaution.
Satheeshan’s initiative is seen as a strategy by the UDF to uphold vigilance until the counting of votes.
It is noteworthy that voting for 140 seats in Kerala took place on April 9, with the counting scheduled for May 4, an event eagerly anticipated by all political parties.
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