The Election Commission has suspended four of its officials after they hitched a ride in a BJP candidate's car to transport an EVM after the second phase of voting on Thursday evening, ANI has reported.
The video of the car with the EVM was tweeted by Assam-based journalist Atanu Bhuyan.
ANI reported that the election commission vehicle assigned to the panel team broke down and they used the BJP Patharkandi candidate's car to transport the EVM.
A crowd, mostly of opposition supporters, surrounded the car, as per the news reports. The district administration had to resort to police action to disperse the crowd and secure the vehicle, the EVM, and the polling personnel, officials said.
Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi have lashed out at the Election Commission over the incident.
Targeting the BJP over the incident, Priyanka Gandhi said the Election Commission should act decisively on such complaints and that a serious re-evaluation of the use of EVM’s needs to be carried out by all national parties.
Also Read | EVM in Assam BJP candidate's car: EC orders repoll, 4 officials suspended