ITANAGAR, Apr 12: The election agent of the INC candidate for the Hayuliang assembly seat in Anjaw district, Syndulum Ngadong, has demanded that the constituency’s returning officer (RO) be replaced “to ensure free and fair further process of electioneering.”
Ngadong stated in a release that “proper safety measures commonly allowed at other strong-rooms of the state are being denied to us, leaving us with reasonable apprehension regarding proper storage of the EVMs in the strong-room (in Hayuliang).”
He said the RO had called him and the BJP candidate’s election agent for the same constituency to seal the strong-room where the EVMs are stored, at about 6:30 pm on Friday.
However, Ngadong alleged that his request for sealing the door of the strong-room with “private lock and key” to ascertain the EVMs’ security was declined.
He also alleged that the RO denied the request for installing a CCTV camera to monitor the movement of people near the strong-room. Instead, Ngadong alleged, the RO lost his temper, started abusing him, and threatened him with “dire consequences.”
Ngadong said that, after receiving the threat, he left the place without taking part in the EVM sealing procedure in the strong-room.
He meanwhile requested the authority concerned to take immediate measures to ensure the protection and safety of his life.
