Rajasthan election results 2018: Bharatpur SP on leave after row with Congress MLA over EVM security

Bharatpur superintendent of police (SP) Kesar Singh Shekhawat has gone on leave following arguments with Congress MLA Vishvendra Singh on Saturday night over an alleged lapse of security at a strong room where electronic voting machines (EVMs) are kept.

Shekhawat sought five-day leave on Sunday morning and the Bharatpur range inspector general (IG) Malini Agarwal has sanctioned it, confirmed additional director general (ADG) of police BL Soni, who was sent to Bharatpur to diffuse the situation.

“The situation is under control now. SP Shekhawat had applied for leave lest anyone should level allegations against him for influencing counting of votes. The security arrangements will be monitored by the IG,” Soni said.

For full coverage on assembly elections, click here.

There was high drama outside the strong room at Maharani Shri Jaya College late Saturday after Vishvendra Singh alleged there was lack of security. “I sent two of my supporters to check the security arrangements at the strong room. They informed me about movement of suspicious vehicles around the campus and the general lack of security,” the Congress leader, contesting from his seat Deeg-Kumher in Bharatpur district, said.

Singh said he went to the campus around 10.30pm and raised objections with the security officials. “The SP and other police officers misbehaved with me. They were drunk. My supporters got agitated over the fracas and protested. I spoke to the DGP and demanded the SP’s removal,” he said.

Singh’s supporters shut shops to protest the incident. ADG Soni held a meeting with district election officer (DEO) Sandesh Nayak, IG Malini Agarwal and Singh.

Read | Election exit polls results 2018: KCR has an edge in Telangana, Cong snatches Rajasthan

Soni said FIRs from both parties have been registered against each other.

SP Shekhawat denied allegations of misbehaving with the MLA. “The allegations made by Singh are baseless and he is trying to misguide the people,” he said. The police officer claimed that Singh had demand that the counting of votes be done under the supervision of some other officer. “In order to maintain transparency in the counting of votes, I have applied for leave for five days,” he said.

DEO Nayak, too, denied the allegation made by Singh regarding unknown vehicles entering the premises of the strong room. He said, “There was no void in the security arrangements. Strong room has been guarded with three-layer security. Singh got wrong information that some vehicles had come inside the premises and the electronic voting machines are been replaced. After which the issue heated up.”

Nayak added, “The vehicle that came in the premises of the college was carrying for the security personnel. We had a meeting today and we have convinced him of the security arrangements at the strong room.”

Click here for complete coverage of Rajasthan Assembly Election 2018