The Election Commission of India on Wednesday ordered Uttar Pradesh’s chief electoral officer to take action against an additional district magistrate in Varanasi over lapses related to EVMs.

However, the EC reiterated that the electronic voting machines in question were meant for training, and not the ones used in the elections and kept in strongrooms.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had alleged EVMs not used in the elections were being smuggled into strongrooms where machines deployed in the polls have been kept for counting. Party workers had stopped three trucks ferrying in Varanasi.

An EC spokesperson said: “The ECI has ordered the UP CEO to take action against Varanasi ADM N.K. Singh over violation of rules in transportation of EVMs. The lapse on the ADM’s part was that he did not inform political party representatives about the movement. However, these machines were specifically earmarked and separated for training purposes only and have no connection with polled EVMs. It is reiterated that no polled machines can be taken out from the three-tiered secured strongrooms.”

On Wednesday evening, N.K. Singh, the ADM civil supplies of Varanasi; Ramesh Kumar, the SDM of Ghorawal in Sonbhadra district; and Parul Tarar, the SDM of Baheri in Bareilly district, were removed from poll duty.

UP officers

Bihar CEO H.R. Srinivasa has been deputed as special officer to supervise counting in Varanasi, and Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh will be in Meerut. Uttar Pradesh is the only state among the five that went to polls to get CEOs from other states.