A tense standoff unfolded at Baselios College, the designated strong room housing electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the Vaikom constituency in Kerala, after a Central Observer's attempt to override the state's strong-room locking protocols.
The confrontation, which involved CISF personnel allegedly pointing weapons at local election officials, was sparked by Ranjit Kumar Sinha, a 2005-batch IAS officer and Central Observer for Kaduthuruthy, Vaikom (SC), and Ettumanoor seats.
Sinha directed that keys to the locks of the strong-room be sealed and left attached to the locks, with only spare copies to be retained by officials, citing standard practice in states like West Bengal and Assam.
However, this directive drew immediate objections from the Kottayam West Police on security grounds, as well as from the Returning Officer (RO), CEO officials said.
The matter was eventually resolved after consultations between the observer and the District Collector, with an agreement to follow the original Kerala procedure.
The strong room doors were then secured with additional reinforcements, including plywood sheets and a wooden plank.
The Vaikom (SC) constituency in Kottayam district is scheduled for counting on May 4.
