Kolkata, Sept. 1 -- The State Election Commission (SEC) on Tuesday told the Calcutta High Court that a shortage of EVMs could affect preparations for the upcoming municipal elections, as several machines are being preserved in connection with pending election cases.
Appearing before the Division Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, the SEC's counsel said EVMs were not available in sufficient numbers. The commission was trying to procure machines from other states, the counsel said.
"Manufacturers are saying we will not be able to produce machines in such a short time," the counsel told the bench, explaining the difficulty faced by the commission in arranging additional EVMs.
The counsel also referred to an earlier direction to preserve EVMs in connection with election-related litigation.
The SEC said 26 election-related cases were currently pending in the state. EVMs and election-related CCTV footage have to be preserved in connection with several of these cases, adding to the logistical difficulties faced by the commission.
The bench was hearing a matter concerning preservation of CCTV footage. The court asked the SEC to issue notice to the other side and explain the problem.
The SEC's submissions come as preparations for the municipal elections gather pace. The commission indicated that the availability of EVMs could have a bearing on its ability to finalise the election schedule.
The matter will be heard again next Tuesday.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.