Guwahati: Alleging serious violations in the handling and security of post-poll materials, Debabrata Saikia, candidate from the 97 Nazira Assembly constituency, has written to the Election Commission of India seeking urgent intervention over what he termed a “serious breach” of election material safeguards.
In a formal complaint addressed to Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel, Saikia claimed that strong rooms designated for storing election papers were found in a compromised condition during his visit to the Material Safety Cell.
According to the complaint, Rooms 11, 12 and 13—used for storing election materials of Nazira and other constituencies, were not secured in accordance with prescribed norms. Several doors were reportedly loosely fastened, single-locked, or shut from inside without proper sealing, while only one of the six doors had a functional double-lock system. In one instance, a door containing election papers of the Nazira constituency could allegedly be opened with slight external pressure.
The Congress leader also alleged the absence of a dedicated security post near the storage area. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel stationed nearby reportedly stated that securing the election material rooms was not part of their assigned duty, raising concerns over the adequacy of security deployment.
Citing Election Commission guidelines, Saikia noted that strong rooms are required to have a strict double-lock system, round-the-clock security, CCTV surveillance, proper sealing protocols, and maintenance of entry logs under continuous monitoring by security personnel. He alleged that these norms were not being followed.
The complaint further flagged improper storage of critical election documents, including statutory forms and sealed packets, which are required to be kept under stringent security protocols.
Describing the alleged lapses as a threat to the transparency and integrity of the electoral process, Saikia has urged the Commission to order an immediate inquiry, strengthen security arrangements, and initiate action against those responsible.
The Election Commission is yet to respond to the allegations.