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Some of the protestors in Peren town on Mar. 5.[/caption]
Dimapur, Mar. 5 (EMN): Even as Chief Minister TR Zeliang left for Delhi in an attempt to persuade the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership to form the government in Nagaland, elsewhere in his home constituency i.e., Peren district, people were protesting the alleged manipulation of electronic voting machines (EVM) by Zeliang's supporters.
According a press release that was received here on Mon., the youth wing of Peren region's Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the 7th Peren assembly constituency submitted a memorandum to the Peren district administration after the public rally.
They expressed confidence that the EVMs at 7th Peren assembly constituency were manipulated by Naga People's Front (NPF) members; it claimed ‘clear evidence that there is a vote difference of 1224 votes in the total votes cast and total votes counted.’
“...and the control unit of EVM for polling station no. 7/44, 7/45, 7/53 was contradictory to the EVM randomization data issued by the returning officer and the polling officer on the polling day. The polling agents / election agents of NDPP were not invited for the mock poll by the presiding officer nor the mock poll certificate were issued to the agents except for 7/36. Thus, election is null and void as it cannot be authenticated by the polling party as per the guidelines of the election rules.
“That during the sealing of the strong room, the NDPP agents were neither informed nor invited. Likewise, even when strong room was opened, NDPP agents were kept at the dark which amounts to violation of fair conduct of election,” it read.
It also accused the “NPF partymen” of distributing ‘unaccounted cash’ in many villages to purchase voters, and ‘distributing cars to individuals and even to churches in exchange of votes.’
“It is evident that cheques were also issued to individuals in order to gain votes in favour of their candidate. Such malpractices are clearly not the means of free and fair election and it is against the election code of conduct. It is also evident that personnel/government officials recruited and deputed for election duty as master trainers, trainers, observers, blos or counting officials and supervisors etc, were actively involved hand in glove with NPF party in scheming and conspiring in conducting the whole process of election up till declaration of results.
“Hence, we strongly demand remedial measures and take stern disciplinary action against such officers. The 7 Peren A/C NDPP party will not accept the result hence, we demand for re-poll in 7 Peren A/C,” the memorandum read.
