BMC vote counting: Maha SEC says back-up display units to be used only during glitches

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday clarified that Printing Auxiliary Display Unit (PADU) machines will be kept ready for use only if technical difficulties arise during counting of votes cast through Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) voting machines in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

The SEC said PADU will not be used as a standard procedure and would be utilised only in exceptional cases involving technical glitches.

The BEL voting machines being used for the BMC elections are ‘M3A’ models belonging to the Election Commission of India.

According to the SEC order, the counting of votes must primarily be done by connecting the Ballot Unit (BU) to the Control Unit (CU).

BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani also said PADU machines will be used only as a back-up.

“The PADU device should only be utilised in rare, exceptional cases where technical difficulties prevent standard counting,” the SEC said in a release.

A total of 140 PADU units have been made available for the BMC elections. If the need arises, PADU must be used in the presence of BEL technicians, it said.

The SEC had earlier issued directives to demonstrate the functioning of the PADU device to representatives of political parties.

Following the instructions, the BMC has already conducted practical demonstrations for the representatives to ensure transparency and understanding of the process.

The clarification from the SEC and the BMC Commissioner comes hours after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray raised concerns regarding the voting process.

He highlighted the introduction of PADU as a back-up device during vote counting if EVMs fail during the municipal elections and claimed that the machines were introduced without transparency, as political parties were not aware of them.

He alleged the SEC did not even inform the political parties about the device.

Raj Thackeray said neither the public nor political parties had been shown how the units function.

He claimed that even after formal inquiries, including a letter from Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, the State Election Commission failed to provide clarity.

“When EVMs are used, party representatives are called to verify the buttons. But this new machine hasn’t been shown to anyone. This is pure anarchy,” he said.

–IANS

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Assam Rifles recover five IEDs in Manipur, major threat averted

Imphal, Nov 29 (IANS) The Assam Rifles recovered five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during routine patrolling in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district, averting a serious security threat, officials said on Saturday.

A defence spokesperson said that during a patrol, the Assam Rifles troops recovered five IEDs in the Pengpalep–Lokchao axis of Tengnoupal district, averting a severe threat.

Troops discovered an unusual underground structure, and a subsequent search revealed five IEDs concealed inside a specially built bunker.

A bomb disposal team was deployed, confirmed the devices were live and safely neutralised them, ensuring the area was fully sanitised, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, on Friday, a fierce encounter between the Assam Rifles and outlawed militants occurred along the state’s India-Myanmar border areas.

A defence spokesperson had said that a patrolling party of the Assam Rifles came under fire from terrorists along the border areas on Friday morning.

The troops retaliated immediately with controlled and cautious fire to ensure civilian safety, the defence spokesperson added, noting that additional forces have been deployed to the area and the operation is currently in progress.

Manipur shares a 398 km unfenced border with Myanmar, making the frontier highly vulnerable to trans-border movement of militants, inimical elements, and large-scale smuggling of various drugs.

In another development, the Assam Rifles jawans have seized foreign-origin liquor and cigarettes worth Rs 80 lakhs from two vehicles at Yangoubung in the same Tengnoupal district on Friday.

Two individuals were apprehended, and the seized items were handed over to the police in the border town of Moreh.

The operation demonstrates the Assam Rifles’ continued resolve against cross-border smuggling, the defence spokesman said.

Five Manipur districts – Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong and Ukhrul — share a 398 km unfenced international border with Myanmar. The Assam Rifles have been guarding the mountainous international border.

Meanwhile, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla reviewed the ongoing border-fencing work along the India-Myanmar border last week.

A Raj Bhavan official said that, chairing a meeting, the Governor reviewed the overall progress of the construction works along the 398 km India-Myanmar border with Manipur.

Senior Border Roads Organisation (BRO) officers, including the Additional Director General Border Roads (East) and the Commandant of 25 Border Road Task Force (BRTF), briefed the Governor on the progress of the fencing, key operational issues, and the overall performance of the project.

They also flagged concerns related to security and communication and put forward recommendations to ensure faster and smoother execution of the remaining works.

The Governor appreciated the progress made so far and conveyed that the government will extend necessary support to address the concerns raised by the BRO.

The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Commissioners and senior officers from the BRO and Assam Rifles.

Deputy Commissioners of several border districts were also present at the meeting.

–IANS

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Janakrosh Yatra: K’taka BJP slams Cong govt over ‘targeting party workers unjustly’

Karwar (Karnataka), April 11 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP’s ‘Janakrosh Yatra’, organised against the Congress-led government over price rises and reservations for Muslims in tenders for public work, entered its fifth day on Friday. The party slammed the Siddaramaiah-led government for targeting BJP workers across the state unjustly.

Speaking at the ‘Janakrosh Yatra’ public meeting held in Yellapur town in Karwar district, Member of Parliament Kota Srinivas Poojary charged that BJP workers were being targeted unjustly across the state.

“BJP workers were allegedly beaten just because a senior police official of the rank of Inspector General was arriving in the coastal Karnataka region. When questioned, FIRs were reportedly filed against 40 BJP workers. What kind of state is this?” he asked.

He reminded the police department that it was the BJP that had taken to the streets to fight for justice when 1 lakh police officers in the state were being treated unfairly.

Poojary criticised the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying: “This government is administratively dead — it is no longer alive.”

He alleged that law and order in the state had completely collapsed.

Referring to the murder case of Hindu activist Praveen Kumar Nettaru, he said: “When the accused was brought to court in the presence of police, someone kissed him on the forehead. What is this government doing? What is the Home Department doing?”

He questioned the silence of the police in such matters.

He brought up the recent incident in Udayagiri locality in Mysuru, where a police station was set on fire, and asked: “Where is the law and order?”

He also questioned how the government, which is supposed to prevent terrorists from entering the state with bombs hidden in pressure cookers, can tolerate senior ministers referring to such terrorists as “our brothers”.

“If such a situation is created, where is the law and order?” he asked.

Speaking at a public meeting during the BJP’s Janakrosh Yatra, the BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said that the BJP is not the one calling the Congress government corrupt—it’s the Congress party’s own MLA and Chief Minister’s Economic Advisor, Basavaraj Rayareddy, who has certified it as such.

Appreciating the massive turnout, he said the BJP launched this campaign to raise public awareness against the Congress government’s price hikes and corruption.

He criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for introducing a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts, calling it an act of appeasement that insults Hindus.

Vijayendra also alleged that Rs 38,000 crore earmarked under the SCSP (Scheduled Caste Sub Plan) and TSP (Tribal Sub Plan) — funds meant for the development of Dalits — have been diverted by Siddaramaiah to other purposes, where corruption is also taking place. He said this misuse is sparking public outrage.

Vijayendra accused Siddaramaiah of overseeing maximum price hikes during the past 20 months of his administration. He claimed that instead of focusing on development, the Chief Minister has set up an expert committee to recommend price hikes on essential goods.

He further said the Congress is misleading the people in the name of “guarantees”, while Siddaramaiah has increased the prices of over 50 essential commodities in the last 20 months.

Vijayendra slammed Siddaramaiah for walking to the Krishna River before the elections but failing to allocate even a rupee for irrigation projects after coming to power.

Similarly, he criticised Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for taking part in the Mekedatu padayatra (protest march) before the elections but forgetting the project after assuming power.

He noted that diesel prices have been increased by Rs 7.50 under the Congress government, severely impacting the cost of daily-use goods. Farmers, who rely on diesel for tractors and other agricultural machinery, are particularly affected, he added.

Vijayendra said that while the Congress government promotes schemes like “Shakti” (free bus travel for women), it owes Rs 6,500 crore to Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). Thousands of government buses in rural areas have stopped operating, leaving students without transportation to schools and colleges.

He also pointed out that the hike in milk prices by Rs 9 has made it difficult for poor families to provide nutritious food to their children. “The Congress government gives with one hand and takes away with the other,” he alleged.

–IANS

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