Following Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's allegation of tampering with electronic voting machines (EVM), his party workers staged a protest outside an EVM strong room in Varanasi's Pahariya Mandi area on Tuesday.
Heavy deployment of police personnel has been made in the area.
Ahead of the counting of votes for Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on Thursday, Akhilesh Yadav alleged "tampering with electronic voting machines" saying BJP was scared as his party was winning Ayodhya. He urged the Election Commission to look into the issue.
"Samajwadi Party is winning Ayodhya that is why BJP is scared. Election Commission officials tampering with EVMs," he claimed at a press conference here.
He also alleged that EVMs had been transported in Varanasi without information to local candidates.
"Exit polls want to create a perception that BJP is winning. This is the last fight for democracy. EVM is being transported without being informed to candidates. We need to be alert if EVMs are being transported this way. This is theft. We need to save our votes. We may go to court against it but before that, I want to appeal to people to save the democracy," he said.
The SP chief also made similar allegations in a tweet.
"The reports of EVM being caught (transported) in Varanasi is a message to be alert in every constituency. To deal with any attempt of cheating during the counting of votes, the candidates of the Samajwadi Party and its allies should stay ready with their cameras. The youth should become soldiers during counting for the sake of democracy and their future," he said.
The voting for the seventh and last phase of assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh was held on Monday.
The exit polls have predicted BJP getting a comfortable majority in the state. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
( With inputs from ANI )
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