In the midst of nationwide debates over the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) versus traditional ballot papers, the Supreme Court has made a decisive move by rejecting all petitions related to the matter. Concurrently, a discovery was made at The Dadoji Konddev Stadium in Thane, where eight EVMs were found among scrap materials.
A surprising revelation emerged at a stadium when personnel from the election department, accompanied by political party officials, stumbled upon a discovery while attending to a door repair task in the empty rooms beneath the spectator gallery. Within one of the trunks, they uncovered eight EVMs. However, with around 350 trunks scattered in the area, the limited manpower available poses a logistical hurdle in conducting a comprehensive inspection. Representatives from multiple political parties have voiced apprehensions, stating that the possibility of more EVMs concealed within the yet-to-be examined trunks cannot be overlooked.
Jitendra Awhad, MLA from the Sharad Pawar group, expressed concern over the discovery of EVMs in a stadium storage room under the stairs in Thane district. He questioned how such a significant quantity of EVMs could go unnoticed, stating that according to protocol, every EVM delivered must be matched and handed over to the district collector or election officer. Awhad suggested that this discovery fuels suspicions of EVM replacement, as these machines had allegedly been stored there since 2014.
Thane District Collector and Returning Officer, Ashok Shingare, clarified that the inspection of the room at the Thane Municipal Corporation's Konddev Stadium was conducted in the presence of political representatives, with prior notification to political parties. During the inspection, old Gram Panchayat and district-level EVMs were discovered among election materials and envelopes. Shingare assured that a detailed report on the matter has been submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer. Furthermore, the door was repaired, sealed, and police deployment was reinforced. Shingare emphasized that there is no link between the unused warehouse and the Lok Sabha election process and confirmed that the entire process was recorded.