By IANS,
Guwahati : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has informed the Election Commission that terrorists in collaboration with some political rivals might bomb the strong room at Silchar in Assam where electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been kept, a party leader said Monday.
“We already sent a letter to the Election Commission May 1 based on some authentic information from a source that militants or terrorists backed by some political parties could try and blow up the strong room where EVMs are kept,” BJP leader Anil Dey told IANS.
Dey is also the chief election agent of Kabindra Purkayastha, the BJP candidate for the Silchar parliamentary seat.
Elections to the Silchar seat were held April 16 with the BJP’s main political rivals being sitting MP and central minister Santosh Mohan Dev and perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal of the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF).
“After we sent the letter to the Election Commission, police officials visited us and enquired about our apprehension and wanted to know our source. We said we cannot divulge our source and that the authorities should take appropriate security measures to ensure that nothing untoward happens,” Dey said.
Authorities in the Silchar district administration confirmed receiving a copy of the BJP’s letter and said fool-proof security arrangements were in place at the strong room.
“There is no need for any fear as adequate security personnel have been deployed as per the Election Commission guidelines,” a senior official said.
The ruling Congress dismissed the BJP’s fears as “a figment of their imagination”.
“It is absolutely baseless and their fears are unfounded. The BJP is staring at defeat in the Silchar seat and is hence trying to cook up stories of sabotage,” said Congress leader Sarifujzaman Laskar.
The votes will be counted May 16.