Poll officials 'forget' EVM in jeep, driver brings it back

In a lapse, officials posted in Dediapada constituency in Gujarat's Narmada district during the first phase of polls on Saturday "forgot" a "spare" VVPAT EVM unit in a private jeep while returning to Rajpipala, a senior officer said on Sunday.

The unit, packed in three separate bags, was spotted by the driver of the jeep and some local leaders in Dediapada who brought it back to Rajpipala, the Narmada district headquarters, on Sunday.

After the incident came to light, District Collector and Election Officer R S Ninama claimed that the EVM unit was a "spare" one and was not used in the polling in the Dediapada (ST) seat.

According to Ninama, the EVM unit was among the six spare units sent to Kanjal village in Dediapada taluka on Saturday.

"Along with the six EVMs used for polling at Kanjal and five other adjoining villages, we had sent six spare units to deal with any unwarranted technical problem. Zonal poll officials were supposed to submit all these units at Rajpipla after the polling," Ninama told reporters. However, officials forgot one unit in the jeep and submitted the remaining units at the receiving centre, he said.

"Today (Sunday) morning, the driver of the jeep, who returned to Dediapada after dropping the officials, spotted the unattended unit in the jeep and informed some local leaders of Dediapada. They then brought that unit here," Ninama said.

The officer said he had already submitted a report to the Election Commission about the incident.