Electronic Voting Machines stored under protection for years

After the by polls in 2006 a petition was filed against Botsa Jhansi’s victory in the election. Since then the case is dragging on with lots of money and human resources being spent on the case.

Sitting MP of Bobbili, K. Paidithalli Naidu, who won the 2004 Lok Sabha election died in 2006. Later, the Election Commission conducted bypolls in the same year. Botsa Jhansi from the Congress had won the elections against K.A. Naidu, the son of late Paidithalli Naidu on a thin margin.

The loser K. A. Naidu had challenged the result in the Supreme Court. He had complained that the result was manipulated and appealed to the Court for justice. The Court ordered the district authorities to protect the machines till the case was resolved.

According to the Court orders around 10 police men are on duty to secure the EVMs. The 14th Lok Sabha (2004-2009) was completed in 2009 and the 15th Lok Sabha completed its tenure in 2014 May. But the case was not resolved. Now the Bibbili Lok Sabha constituency has lost its significance as it was renamed Vizianagaram. But the EVMs are still being protected by the police.

A revenue officer said that the machines might have gone for repair as they have not been charged with power for the past 10 years. Even if we open the machines the data which was stored in those machines may have been erased.

Though the judgment went in favour of the petitioner K.A. Naidu, it was no use to him. District revenue officer B. Hemasundar Rao said, “We have written a letter to the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition as the Lok Sabha had completed its tenure. We are waiting for the directions from the Court. Without the Court’s permission we are helpless on this issue.”

Interestingly, the petitioner in the case, K.A Naidu is the MLA of Gajapathi Nagaram constituency now.