New Delhi, April 6: The BJP on Tuesday demanded an independent inquiry from the Election Commission after electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPAT machines were found in a TMC leader's house in a constituency in West Bengal's Howrah district.

Four EVMs and a similar number of VVPAT machines were found at the house of the Trinamool Congress leader in Uluberia constituency following which an election official was suspended by the poll body. West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021: Tapan Sarkar, Sector Officer, Suspended After EVMs and VVPATs Were Found at TMC Leader’s House in Uluberia.

Addressing a press conference, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said it is a serious matter that a day before the polling EVMs and VVPAT machines were found in the TMC leader's house and were confiscated.

"And this becomes more serious that the machines were brought by a car which was on election duty. There should be full-fledged inquiry in this matter and we are sure that the Election Commission will do a separate and independent inquiry," he said.

The EVMs and VVPAT machines were not used in Tuesday's polling and were seized by the poll panel. Meanwhile, BJP candidate from the constituency Chiran Bera alleged that the incident was part of the TMC's plan to rig the election, a charge denied by the ruling party.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)