Bhopal, December 1: Nearly 34 Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs reached the collection centres in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Friday -- around 48 hours after polls concluded in the state. The delay has rattled the Opposition, with the Congress alleging "tampering" of EVMs in a bid to manipulate the election results.

The 34 EVMs which reached storage nearly two days later were kept at the police station in Khurai city of the district. The assembly segment is currently held by BJP veteran and State Home Minister Bhupendra Singh. He was challenged in this election by Congress leader Arunoday Chaubey. Higher Voter Turnout Recorded in MP Elections as Compared to 2013.

Congress workers in Khurai claimed that the EVMs were taken to a hotel owned by Singh before being brought to the collection centres. The party has demanded a time-bound inquiry into the alleged incident.

"In Madhya Pradesh home minister's area, EVMs were deposited using a bus without a registration plate, 48 hours after polling. Is this a conspiracy by the government to ensure a BJP win?" the Madhya Pradesh Congress tweeted.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Saloni Singh addressed the media after the controversy broke out, claiming that the EVMs brought late to the storage were not used for polling. They were kept at a police station in Khurai for emergency purpose -- to be used in case of designated polling machines malfunction.

"These are EVMs kept as 'Reserve' stationed at some Police stations, to be used as replacement for malfunctioning machines during Poll. Such machines were to be stored separately from polled EVMs. Strong room having Polled EVMs was neither opened nor was supposed to be opened," the Madhya Pradesh CEO tweeted.

The BJP, meanwhile, has charged the Congress of raking up a "baseless conspiracy" to transfer the onus on EVMs in case of defeat. The party said the caretaker government has not interfered in any manner in the conduct of polls in the state.

In the polls held on November 28, 74 per cent of Madhya Pradesh's registered electorate came out to vote. The turnout was higher as compared to the 2013 polls. Results will be declared by the Election Commission on December 11.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 01, 2018 03:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).